Graduation 2013 ... dates and reminders inside
ST. PAUL SECONDARY SCHOOL’S
HEARTBEAT
School Play
A Totally Teen Comedy
Not For Profit
Reflections from Dupont School
Boys’ Night In
Building Confidence in Young Men
Spring Athletics
Extra Curricular and Varsity Sports
Toon Boom
Comm-Tech Gets Animated
Chaplain’s Corner
Catholic Faith Rich in Tradition
ACT NOW Garage Sale...
St. Paul Secondary School
SPRING ISSUE, 2013
815 Atwater Avenue, Mississauga, Ontario L5E 1L8
Phone: 905-278-3994
Web: stpaulss.org
Fax: 905-278-1163
Trustees
B. Iannicca, Mississauga Ward 7 - 905-270-0536, bruno.iannicca@dpcdsb.org
M. Pascucci, Mississauga Wards 1 & 3 - (P) 905-302-3096, (F) 905-890-0888, mario.pascucci@dpcdsb.org
Superintendent
Mr. C. Blanchard
Principal
Mr. P. Schmidt
Vice-Principal
Ms. C. Iacobucci
Chaplain
Mr. B. Finamore
Student Services/ARD
Mr. B. Bonnah
Guidance Counsellor A - K, ELL
Ms. E. Wasiuk
Guidance Counsellor L - Z, SHSM
Mr. J. Multari
Youth Care Worker
Ms. V. Williams
St. Dominic Parish Pastor
Fr. Philip Jones
Heartbeat Editor
Mr. T. Brugmans
Magazine Layout & Design
Mr. T. Brugmans
Cover Photo
Principal’sMessage
Let me begin by wishing all of our parents a wonderful Easter and
that you share in all of the blessings of the Resurrection that will
come your way.
We are past the mid term reporting cycle and outdoor sports, Easter food drives, school plays, and Jamaican student visits preoccupy
our time and attention at St. Paul. If there is one marker of school
improvement and success in education, it has to be student engagement. It’s to this that I want to turn your attention.
Recently, media reports were full of
Rate Your Hospital discussion and
this set off a healthy, if misleading,
parade of assertions, condemnations, and clarifications that these
events usually do. Accountability in
publicly financed agencies, boards
and commissions are a healthy and
necessary part of the democratic process and we should participate freely
in such debates. The challenge is
always comparing apples with apples
and not cabbage.
I use this turn of phrase to make the
point that, until recently, students
wouldn’t arrive at school with the
same advantages that each other had
brought from home. Technology has
begun to change this equation and
parents need to give their children all
of the advantages that they can. The
metaphor we use at St. Paul is the
electronic backpack. Exactly why
are we hauling around text books,
novels and assorted twentieth century artifacts, when we can store most
or all of it on our tablets, laptops, or
smartphones? St. Paul will be a WiFi enabled school shortly and we are
about one semester away from being
able to dump many of the disadvantages that some of our parents had
when they went to school.
We don’t want this to be construed
as a homily to technology by any
stretch of the imagination. Obesity
rates, the decline of conversational
skills, cyberviolence and sexting
are only some of the by-product of
the changed landscape. The literacies that matter unfortunately aren’t
being explored in most schools. The
millennial generation are digital natives and therefore digital and media
literacy (cultural deconstruction, as
we used to say) is among the most
important critical thinking tool that
we can pass on to our students. We
believe parents could all do it best
with an iPad Mini. For a modest
amount, students can bring their
work around with them through a
variety of resources.
As an old school English major, I
recently shared with students (via
Studio30) the most valuable and
inexpensive card that you can own:
a Mississauga Public library card because of its fabulous on-line collection of books and cinema. Apps for
iPads, iPhones and Android devices
currently exist with the classics of
the world, major and minor authors
for nothing and we continue to
spend money on them. The textbook
industry will be the next paradigm
shift for secondary and post secondary institutions. Whether it’s 99 cents
or $9.99 the iTunes format will be
the next new thing because public
institutions can save money and be
green at the same time.
If systems are going to advance technologically, we will have to adopt a
common format. We’re proposing
that it be the Apple platform as soon
as possible because that’s the one
that brings the most advantage to
your children and St. Paul. As we’ve
said before, it’s about the advantages
and not the platform, but we can’t
move forward until our students
are on the same page. A recent Pew
Research poll demonstrated that
78% of 14-17 year olds in the USA
have a cell phone and 47% of those
have a Smartphone. Our experience
is that it’s higher than this in our
community. That means nearly half
of all teenagers carry devices that are
hi-powered multi-functional communication tools. Those tools operate on a two or three year plan at a
minimum rate of $35.00 per month.
When we do the math, parents are
already subsidizing a texting tool and
not an educational one for four years.
What is the price and educational
advantage?
I want to hear from parents on these
matters because consensual cooperation moves the yardsticks very
quickly. Once it begins, we are on
another track altogether. We can stay
stuck or give our children the advantage.
›››Chaplaincy
Our
Living
Faith
Habemus Papam! Our Catholic Faith is rich with powerful symbols, rituals and traditions. Anyone with even the slightest interest in history, theology or anthropology could spend a lifetime exploring the institution
and evolution of these magnificent aspects of our Catholic Faith. When
Pope Benedict XVI announced earlier this year that he was going to step
down as Pope, the Church was magnificently thrown into action. The
Cardinals were assembled in Rome from around the world and a Papal
Conclave was called to elect a new Pope.
The election of Pope is a centuries old process ripe with ancient wisdom, tradition
and solemnity.
As we left the school to begin our March
Break vacation, I was filled with excitement. As many of you know, I have been
undergoing Chemo Therapy for the past
several months. My current treatment
protocol has been going very well but the
experience is physically draining. Needless to say, I was laid up at home during
the March Break and I had the best seat
in the house for all of the excitement and
drama from Rome. I loved every second
of the action. The crowds gathered in
front of St. Peter’s Basilica, the black and
white smoke, the image of the gates to
the Sistine Chapel being locked to begin
the Conclave, the Swiss Guards and the
hordes of media from around the world
created a spectacle impossible to fully describe. It was so exciting to be connected
electronically to the action. I will never
forget the Sistine Chapel Chimney Camera
that appeared on the screen all of the leading television news channels from around
the world. In a world of high priced smart
phone apps we had a Chimney Cam.
I wondered prior to the Conclave, how
the ancient colored smoke signals used
for centuries by the Church to announce
the completion and results of each round
of voting in the Sistine Chapel, would
appear to the world in our new digital
age? Would the Catholic Church appear
old fashioned, outdated and antiquated?
In short, the Church looked magnificent.
There was a timeless beauty and symbolic
confidence that spoke to the twenty-first
century as only the two thousand year old
Catholic Church could. When Cardinal
Jorge Bergoglio was introduced as Pope
and the famous worlds “Habemus Papam”
were pronounced from the Balcony of St.
Peter’s Basilica, for a few precious hours
the eternal city of Rome was once again
center of the spiritual world and a spirit
of Hope reigned supreme. Through the
miracle of TV all of us had the best seat
in the house to see who got to be the new
occupant of the ancient seat of Peter, the
Bishop of Rome.
One of my favorite images of the Papal
Conclave was that of the alpha seagull
perched upon the Sistine Chapel Chimney
during the first three rounds of balloting.
The original Francis, after whom Cardinal
Bergoglio selected his Pontifical name,
would have been
thrilled by the birds antics. What a powerful
image for humanity as
we look for new ways
to care for all of God’s
creation and make
space for everyone and
all of creation.
Late
Breaking News
We have known for
several yeas that the
SHSM Programs of-
fered here at St. Paul Catholic Secondary
School are great vehicles for students to
prepare for post secondary education. Is it
possible that the SHSM programs are also
good for future Bishops? Some fantastic
news for Dufferin-Peel and St. Paul’s. We
learned on Thursday April 11, at 11:00
a.m. that Pope Francis announced the elevation of Fr. Burchell McPherson, Pastor,
St. Peter and Paul Church, Kingston, Jamaica, to the status of Bishop of Montego
Bay in Jamaica.
Fr. Burchell has been a long time friend of
St. Paul School and he has been the host
of non profit SHSM Program with the
DuPont school in Kingston. He has served
as regional director of Food For the Poor
in the Caribbean and has worked as Youth
Director for the Archdiocese of Kingston.
Congratulations Fr. Burchell. We love
you!
›››Not For Profit
Jamaica Leadership Program
Specialist High Skills Major
January 29 – February 6, 2013
Sunny Days, Warm Hearts, Written by: Cassandra Farrugia
On January 29, 2013, we embarked on a journey - a journey of a lifetime. Our first day at DuPont Primary and Infant School is a day I
will never forget. We were greeted with open arms and warm hearts. The teachers, facilitators, and students were very loving and caring. They made us feel very much at home. The atmosphere was like the weather; sunny and bright. The children’s hearts shone like
the bright sun and warmed our hearts like the Jamaican heat. Our objective on this journey to Jamaica was to fix the school and better
the lives of the students, all while experiencing the beautiful Jamaican culture.
We travelled back to Canada with hearts filled with love that we were eager to share. The gift of the Jamaican Exchange Program
is a two way street. We give, we receive, we love, and we were loved. The students find joy in the simplest of things. Finding joy in
the simple things is one of the many lessons they taught us. No textbook, website, or teacher could compare to the teachings of the
students. They taught us how to love unconditionally and with passion. Mother Teresa once said, “The miracle is not that we do this
work, but that we are happy to do it.” The work our school did in Jamaica was, without a doubt, meaningful and straight from the
heart. Knowing that the school is in better shape because of us makes me happy. This trip provided me with a new set of eyes to see
the world, a bigger heart to love with and a smile as bright as the Jamaican sun. I will always be grateful for the opportunity this trip
provided me with. The moments and time spent at DuPont will stay with me and enrich many of my days to come. I am blessed and
inspired. The change starts within us, and this trip was just the beginning.
›››English
Grammar
Literature
Usher – A Totally
Teen Comedy
This year, the St. Paul Players will
be presenting Usher – A Totally Teen
Comedy by Flip Kobler and Cindy
Marcus on Wednesday, May 15 and
Thursday, May 16, 2013.
This production highlights the works
of Edgar Allan Poe, which are bonechilling, dark and depressing — nevermore, quoth the raven! This skilful
adaptation takes a grand mix of Poe’s
writing and characters, and weaves
them together into a comedy loosely
based on The Fall of the House of
Usher, but with more laughs and a
much brighter ending.
After the bus breaks down on a dark
and stormy night, a group of high
school students on a field trip are
forced to spend the night in the spooky
house of Usher. But, they’re not alone!
The spirits of Usher ancestors haunt
the halls, cursed to stay trapped in
the house
forever,
unless
someone
helps
the
Speaking
last surviving Usher find the will to
truly live life.
Directed by Ms. Kelly and Mrs. Bentivoglio, the play involves a stellar cast
of twenty-five, and over a dozen crew
members. This student production has
been in the works since the beginning of February, and all are looking
forward to a great show. Please join us
for an entertaining evening!
Tickets: $10 (in advance) and $12 (at
the door)
Curtain: 7.00 p.m. on Wednesday, May
15 and Thursday, May 16.
French Café: Thursday, May 16.
Spring Excursions
The final visit of the year to Stratford
will occur on Tuesday, April 23.
Mrs. Bentivoglio and Ms. Kelly will
accompany the students of St. Paul to
the Stratford Festival Theatre to see
the acclaimed play Fiddler on the
Roof starring Kate Hennig and Scott
Wentworth. Please see Stratfordfestival.ca for further details and a synopsis of the play.
Also, Ms.Di Carlo’s and Ms.
Alilovic’s classes will be viewing
one of Shakespeare’s most popular
tragedies, Macbeth, performed
by the Classical Theatre Project
at the Toronto Centre for the
Arts on Wednesday, May 1.
We strongly encourage all
students to take advantage of
these wonderful opportunities
to see live theatre.
The Dixie Bloor Neighbourhood Centre was founded
in 1988 by concerned
members of the community to enhance the quality of life of those residing
in the Dixie Bloor area. The
programs offered are free
of charge and responsive
to the needs of the community. In June, DBNC will
be celebrating its 25th anniversary and would like to
invite everyone to join this
festive event.
Dixie Bloor Neighbourhood
Centre 25th Anniversary
party is free fun for all family members.
Refreshments, games,
information, live performances, Saturday, June
15 from 11a.m. -3p.m. at
Burnhamthorpe Community
Centre.”
Olympia Sports Camps
offers an amazing array
of weekly camps from
June30-August 31st, ranging from volleyball, basketball, sailing, golf, canoeing,
hockey, cheerleading, arts,
music, fishing, outdoor ed
just to name a few. Each
camp is taught by high
level elite athletes in their
respective sports. For more
information visit:
olympiasportscamp.com
›››Athletics
Welcome to
Spring!
Discipline, Dedication, Determination
Although the weather
continues to hover
around the zero mark,
St. Paul athletes are
heating it up with their
track and field training sessions, which
have been running for
the past few months,
thanks to coaches Mr.
Galli, Mr.Costigan and
Ms. Creede. They are
preparing for their first
meet at the University
of Western Ontario on
April 27.
Lacrosse try-outs are
underway, as are ones
for soccer. The Varsity
Boys Soccer season
looks promising, as
they made it to the
finals in their first tournament on April 3.
The badminton team, continues to rally up
a storm in the gym most evenings, as they
prepare for their qualifying tournament on
April 16. Girl’s slo-pitch try-outs will be
held in the next few weeks.
Follow St. Paul Athletics on Twitter
@stpathletic
Now that the weather is getting warmer,
encourage your children to find an hour
a day to get outside, walk, run, bike,
rollerblade, hike and
get active. Now that
obesity rates amongst
young adults are
closing in on the 25%
levels, it’s time to
take responsibility
and teach your children the importance
of leading a healthy,
active lifestyle.
Mark McKoy visits
Grade 10 PHE class
Ms. Schlarp’s grade 10 gym class was
blessed to have Mark McKoy, Olympic
Gold Medallist in hurdles, to share his
passion and expertise with fitness with
the boys. Presently, Mark owns a Fitness
Business and loves giving back to the
community. His tough workout, emphasized the importance of doing workouts
with one’s own body weight, before
progressing on to a weight regime in
a gym. The boys were lead through a
variety of planks, push ups, lunges, squats
and realized that you don’t need to belong
to a gym and have a home filled with
expensive equipment to get into shape. St.
Paul is very grateful for this opportunity
to have a Canadian icon, such as Mark
McKoy, join our class.
Outdoor
Education
Outdoor education is an important component of every PHE class at St. Paul. Since
so many students are nature deprived,
we feel that there are so many benefits to
exposing each of the classes to an outdoor
ed experience. The students discover and
appreciate the environment as a source of
recreation and physical fitness, as well as
showing a respect and
reverence for God’s
creation. The senior
grades get to experience the Silvercreek
outdoor center, while
the junior grades get to
hike a variety of sections of the Bruce Trail. Besides the class
hikes, a weekend hike is offered in the
spring and fall.
The grade 10 PHE class had an opportunity to attend Silvercreek in mid February
and most of the boys experienced snowshoeing for the first time. The weather
was cold, but sunny;
a perfect day to be
outdoors and witness
the sheer beauty of hiking through the woods.
They will be hiking the
Mono Cliffs section of
the Bruce Trail in May,
while the grade 9’s will
all hike 10 km of the
Forks of the Credit section of the Bruce Trail.
›››Guidance Files
Student Services • ARD • Counseling
The Student Services counselors have begun the process of timetabling for
the new school year. Students were asked to input their course requests
through the St. Paul website on-line program in December. Students will be
asked to review and confirm their selections when they receive a Verification
sheet. Thank you to all parents and students for their support in meeting
these important deadlines and for submitting the $60.00 activity fee. Finalized draft timetables will be available in June.
New to St. Paul,
myblueprint.ca
All parents and students are encouraged to explore the potential of the online High School and Post-secondary
Pathway planner available to our entire community. Parents and students
are encouraged to take advantage of
the potential found in the post-secondary planner available at myblueprint.
ca. All students have access once they
first create an account using the activation key: paulatwater.
More information and free tutorials
are available from any of the guidance
counselors in the Student Services
Department.
Dual-Credit Programs
Humber, Seneca, George Brown and
Sheridan all offer Dual Credit Programs for St. Paul students interested
in spending a semester in a pre-college
program while simultaneously earning
their high school credits.
Details are available through your
son/daughters’ guidance counselor
in the Student Services department.
Program offerings for 2013/14 include
Early Childhood Education (ECE),
Spa Management, Police Foundations,
Business Studies, Computer Programming (Operating Systems), and many
pre-trade programs including Plumbing, Electrical, Welding and Construction.
Information and applications are
available on the St. Paul website under
the Common Course Calendar link
or through their Guidance Counselors (Ms. Wasiuk or Mr. Multari) or
through the Co-op teachers (Mr. Costigan and Ms. Lehecka). Spaces in all
programs are first come, first served.
Summer School
Information
Information and Forms have arrived
in Student Services. Students must
have a parent/guardian and a guidance
counselor sign summer school application forms. Dufferin-Peel summer
school programs run from July 2 to
July 29. All applications are due by
May 30!
Final Reminders for
Potential Graduates,
Class of 2013
A list of all students who are currently
eligible to graduate has been posted
outside the Student Services Office.
Students are asked to check the list
regularly to ensure their name appears
on the list and they remain eligible
to graduate. Students or parents who
have any questions or concerns regarding eligibility to graduate must contact
their son/daughter’s respective guidance counselor as soon as possible.
Graduation Due Dates
and Reminders
Gown form orders and Commencement fees are due in Student Services
by May 6.
1) Graduation Prom
Friday, June 21.
2) Graduation Mass and Breakfast
June 26 at 10:00 a.m. (Mass)
At St. Dominic’s Church, followed
by the Grad Breakfast in the cafe at
the school.
3) Graduation Commencement
June 26 at 5:00 p.m., St. Dominic’s
Church.
Final Exams
June 18 – June 24, 2013
›››Arts & Culture
Specialist High Skills Major
Animated
Beginnings, Arts
and Culture SHSM
Specialist High Skills
Majors programs allow students and opportunity to test drive
a career path that
matches their skills
and interests while still
being able to meet
the requirements of
the Ontario Secondary
School Diploma. These
programs are focussed
and are designed by
teachers that have a
passion and often a
direct background relating to the specifics
of the subject matter
being instructed.
This year saw the
launch of a new Arts
and Culture SHSM program headed by
Mr. Sayewich, second year CommTech
teacher to St. Paul and the teaching profession itself. Mr. Sayewich comes from 16
years history in the film and television
industry. He has an eclectic past of experiences from film production, broadcast
television and animation with his most
recent and closing experience seeing him
as a master certified trainer working with
Apple. Mr. Sayewich’s program design is
a dual specialty focussing on both animation and application development for
Apple iOS.
As an inaugural year, the SHSM saw the
full launch of the animation program in
both classical and motion graphics animations. In the first semester SHSM students
were exposed to classical animation, being
taught the fundamentals of cell to cell
image creation. They saw the intricacies
and nuances of creating a consistent image
through their conceptualizations in sketch
books, full design on their workstations to
the final build and export of their images
in short animated movies. Students were
able to grasp that the simplest of images
requires the utmost precision to create an
animation. Students participated in the
creation of an animated featurette shown
during the in school Remembrance Day
ceremony inspired by the poem In Flanders Fields. Students also created short
animated characters played during the
intermission of the school Talent Night.
The highlight of the semester brought
industry standard software to the program.
Toon Boom Studio, an animation software
used to animate various programs such as
Spongebob Squarepants, The Simpsons
and Phineas and Ferb, was made available to the animation program allowing
students to experience the actual workflow
and tool set animation professionals use
to create animated programs and feature
length animated movies. Students were
also treated to a specialized hands-on
seminar with a professional Director of
Photography, Jean Héguy, who taught
them specialized lighting and camera techniques for stop motion animation (stop
Motion animation and motion capture
animation will be a focus for the grade 12
course).
In the second semester Arts and Culture
SHSM students have been taught how
to see motion and animation in text and
simple shapes through motion graphic
animation. Motion graphics is a main stay
in all facets of the production industry
from movie trailers, to television show
openings, broadcast sports scores and even
apps on your smart devices. Using Apple’s
motion graphics software, aptly named
Motion, students have been taught how to
animate text and graphics in both 2 dimensional and 3 dimensional spaces. Currently
students are working with the creation of
particle effects and will wrap up their year
with special effects as they are magically
created in feature films and prime time
television.
Next year will be an exiting one as well.
With the inaugural year behind him, Mr.
Sayewich will start forging on new ground
with new programs. The most auspicious
being App development for iOS.
›››Bits & Bites
Omnia Cum Corde
Looking Ahead
Ecojot Presentation
Please take note of the following dates to
help you plan out your calendar.
As a follow up to our Girls Night In event, over 35 girls attended a presentation by Ecojot stationery company. Ecojot made a generous donation to our Girls Night In event
and demonstrated how a responsible paper company, creates beautiful journal creations
using only recycled paper, as well as the contribution they make to providing school
supplies to schools in Haiti. A highlight of the presentation, was having each girl write
a letter to a child in Haiti. Their letters will be translated and placed inside a journal and
given to a Haitian child on their next trip this summer. Thanks to all girls who attended,
and for making a difference.
Mid term Report Cards................. April 25
Mother’s Day................................. May 12
Parent Council Meeting................. May 15
School Play........................... May 15 & 16
Victoria Day (no school)................ May 20
EQAO Math................................... June 12
Athletic Banquet............................ June 13
Father’s Day................................... June 16
Exams......................................June 18 - 24
Exam Review Day......................... June 25
Graduation...................................... June 26
Act Now Garage Sale
On Saturday, June 1, the ACT NOW
Committee at St. Paul will be holding a
community Garage Sale from 9:00 am 1:00 pm.
Any vendors interested in purchasing a
table for this event please contact Pina
or Rose at (905) 278-3994, extension
0. Tables are $25.00 each. Please make
cheque payable to St. Paul Catholic Secondary School. All money will be donated
to a local charity.
Come out and join us for a fun-filled day
of community and fun!
Prom 2013
This year’s Prom, A Haunted Ball, will
take place at the beautiful, Mississauga
Convention Centre on Friday, June 21
from 6:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.
Tickets are $85 and will be sold from
Monday, April 30 to Friday May 11.
Please see Mrs. Bentivoglio in Room 209
for information and tickets. Do not miss
this exciting event!
Boy’s Night In
Since the Girl’s Night In was such a success, we are planning a Boy’s version
which will be held on Thursday May 9
after school.
The evening will begin with Gray Cup
Champion, Jeff Johnson’s motivational
talk. The boys will have a fitness training session with Mark McKoy, former
Olympic Gold Medallist, before breaking
for supper.
After supper they will experience a presentation by the Youth Substance Abuse
Program (YSAP), a martial arts workshop
from the Academy of Martial Arts in Port
Credit and then finish off with a floorball
competition.
We are encouraging all grade 9 and
10 boys to participate in this fun-filled
evening of activity, team building and
camaraderie.
CAMH Study Shows
Mental Illness Associated
With Heavy Cannabis Use
The latest study from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, shows that
people with mental illnesses (depression, anxiety, drug abuse and personality
disorders), are more than 7 times more
likely to use cannabis weekly, as a way of
self-medication.
“This can be of concern because it could
worsen the symptoms of their mental
illness”. Researchers also found that
individuals with mental illness were 10
times more likely to have a cannabis use
disorder. They emphasize the importance
of screening for frequent and problem cannabis use among those with mental illness,
so that targeted prevention and intervention may be employed.”
Any parents with concerns about their
child’s drug use can contact Youth Substance Abuse Program in Peel at 905-2769322 ext 216.