Power of Community ... Chaplain’s Corner
ST. PAUL SECONDARY SCHOOL’S
HEARTBEAT
College & University
Application Process Has Begun
Talent Night 2012
Ramping Up to the Show
OSSLT
What to Expect
Fall Athletics
Extra Curricular and Varsity Sports
Dates To Remember
Fall/Winter Calendar of Events
Technology
Futures in Skilled Trades
Annual Bruce Trail Hike...
St. Paul Secondary School
FALL ISSUE, 2012
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
A. Schlarp
Principal’sMessage
Welcome Back
A big welcome back to all of our students, parents and staff. This year
over 30 feeder students took advantage of our Get Ready Program
for five days in August and reported to me that they had a wonderful transition to high school. Grade nine retreats and our Haunted
House experience have proven to be a fantastic spirit builder for students. Flag football, volleyball, basketball and hockey continue to
smash records for student participation. On Monday November 12,
our community held our Remembrance Day ceremony that brought
attention to the enormous Canadian contributions in all of the major
conflicts since the turn of the last century.
Over two weeks ago I purchased an
iPad Mini because it makes the most
sense for educators and students to
embrace design, portability and function in one product. While I prefer this
learning tool, I’m not in the business
to recommend any brand, except to
suggest to parents that the era of tablets has arrived in high schools.
Whatever your brand may be, consider
that the smart choice for your daughter/son this Christmas is one of these
devices.
The arrival and expansion of titles for
iBooks and all other tablet devices
will inevitably lower the cost of learning materials, as it makes them more
interactive. St. Paul’s will be also expanding our repetoir of Smart Boards
in the second semester.
At our second Parent Council meeting
of this school year, we continued a tradition of selecting exceptional parent
council chairs and thanking those who
have moved on. This year we thanked
Ms. Morell and Ms. Gutt for their
exceptional work on behalf of all our
parent community.
This year we welcome Ms. Zoheig and
Ms. Whiteman with their enthusiasm
and commitment to advocating 21st
century learning.
Several new and returning staff have
joined our ranks and we would encourage you to welcome:
Ms. Alilovic (English),
Ms. Bueno (Spec. Ed.),
Mr. Leskun (Social Science),
Ms. Santogrossi (Spec. Ed.),
Mr. Tolias (Co-op ),
Ms. Tsangarides (French, Alt. Ed.)
ary through our Non-Profit High Skills
Major program.
I would encourage all parents to inform their neighbours of our Grade 8
Open House on Wednesday, December
5.
Please continue to follow up events
and activities on our school website
and Twitter feed for sports activities.
Go Wolverines!
Students have
recently returned
from the Washington Excursion
over the period
of the American
election and I
will leave it to
them to tell you
if it was worthwile.
Looking ahead
we will be
returning to the
Dupont School
in Kingston,
Jamaica in Janu-
Emma Kendrick receives the Father Patrick Fogarty Catholic Leadership Award.
›››Chaplaincy
Our
Living
Faith
On Monday, November 12, the St. Paul School Community paused to remember the heroic sacrifices made by Canadian Men and Women who
have died serving our country in the Armed Forces around the world. At
events such as the annual Remembrance Day ceremony we can tangibly
feel the power and strength of community. It is our duty to never forget
those who made the ultimate sacrifice that enables each and every one
of us to live in freedom!
Recently, a series of events, related
to Remembrance Day, occurred in
Toronto. These events and the public
response that they generated, gave
us an incredible example of the real
power of community.
Last Tuesday, a number of Poppy
boxes were stolen from some stores in
the Eglinton Avenue & Dufferin Street
area of Toronto. The Poppy boxes
are placed in stores and public buildings by the Royal Canadian Legion in
November to distribute Poppies and
collect funds for various Royal Canadian Legion charities. Unfortunately,
the stolen Poppy boxes were found by
the police with the monies removed
behind a beer store the next day. The
police quickly went public with the
story of the theft and within minutes
valuable information started to flood in
to the police station. The thief was arrested that Thursday and was charged
with three counts of theft. This is an
amazing example of community solidarity and cooperation!
Think for a moment of how long
many crimes go unsolved. I can
think of robberies, sexual attacks
and even murders that go unsolved because no one will cooperate with the police or come
forward with information to
help solve these crimes. Things
even happen in our school that
could be quickly dealt with or
prevented if only the community
would respond. We, as Canadians, take
pride in our veterans and we hold the
Poppy with great reverence. If anyone
messes with our Veterans or with the
Poppy, look out! Our outrage is swift
and our courage is great. Wouldn’t it
be great if our community spirit was
this strong all of the time? Think of
how safe and clean our cities would be
in Canada?
Finny’s Potpourri
Thank you to Mr. Kay, Ms. Kelly, Mr.
Penkul and the St. Paul students that
participated in the Remembrance Day
Presentation. The event was performed
live in our School Cafetorium and
broadcast throughout the school on St.
Paul TV.
Thank you to ACT NOW and all of the
teachers and students who collected
food for the Thanksgiving Food Drive.
If any parents noticed some food missing from the pantry, be assured that it
found its way via your daughter or
son to St. Dominic Church. Well done
ACT NOW.
Thank you to Ms. Vono, Ms.Bontempo
and ACT NOW for continuing our
annual Tulip drive. Tulips are sold in
November each year, in memory of
the deceased friends and family of our
school community. They are planted in
the fall and never fail to bloom in the
Spring (usually around Easter Sunday) to remind us of the Resurrection!
There was also a St. Paul, ACT NOW,
sighting in downtown Toronto. The
legendary Sandwich Patrol was at it
again!
Mr. Leskun, Mr. Galli, Ms. Polisano,
Ms. Leonardo and a group of students
had a magnificent time in Washington
DC in early November. While they
did not get to meet President Obama
they did see all of the amazing historical sites including the Newseum, the
Holocaust Memorial Museum, Arlington Cemetery and the Kennedy Center.
Washington DC is really a must see!
On November 16 and November
23, we will be loading two Cargo
Containers for Kingston, Jamaica.
One container will be sent to DuPont
Primary School and the other to
Fr. Burchell McPherson, Food
for the Poor. Ms. Primier has
informed me that 27 students are
preparing to travel to Kingston,
Jamaica in January 2013. They better
be prepared to work hard because Mr.
Mondelli has some big plans!
›››Guidance Files
Student Services • ARD • Counseling
Welcome to Our New Students: Grade 9 Orientation 2012! The new school year is
proving to be an exciting one! Orientation for the Grade 9 students began on August 31. Students were introduced to Mr. Schmidt, Ms. Iacobucci , Mr. Finamore,
Ms Wasiuk (Guidance Counselor – A-K), Ms. Williams (Child Youth Worker), Mr.
Multari (Guidance Counselor L-Z), and members of the Student Council. Many
other staff members and senior students gave generously of their time to welcome our new grade nine students to life at St. Paul.
Mark your Calendars
The St. Paul University Fair is being held
in the evening of November 20 from 6:30 –
8:30. All students and parents are welcome!
Confirmed participants include: Trent,
Guelph-Humber, Western, King’s University
College, York, Laurier, Ottawa, St. Clair
College, University of Toronto, Ryerson,
Brock, King’s College, Windsor, and the
Canadian Forces.
Application Deadlines
The deadline for college applications is February 1 and the deadline for university applications is January 16. Students are strongly
encouraged to apply early because the online websites get very busy in the final days
before the deadline. University applicants
must see Ms Wasiuk for a PIN in order to apply. Please note: Students enrolled in Night
School courses during Semester One or Two
or other recognized Ontario Ministry of Education Private Schools, must bring a copy of
their transcript to their guidance counselor in
order for the course to be entered into their
college/university application files. Also,
students are encouraged to apply for scholarships, bursaries and OSAP (student loans)
listed on the sheets given during the Grade
12 presentations held in early November.
The organization is part of the Canadian Coalition for Tomorrow’s ICT Skills (CCICT)
– a not-for-profit group whose members
include major employers in retail, manufacturing, government, media, finance, information technology, and telecommunications.
The organization is partnered with a variety
of school boards, universities, colleges,
industry associations, and the federal and
provincial governments. The group’s goal is
to help make Canada a global leader in the
21st century knowledge economy.
This year, our guest speaker, Mr. Sean
Croon spoke to the Grade 10 Career Studies
Classes and grade 11 and 12 Guidance and
Career education students. Mr. Croon is a
senior manager with Microsoft Canada who
shared his career journey with our students
and answered their questions; he provided
a valuable opportunity for them to learn
more about the wide array of job and career
opportunities in the rapidly expanding field
of information technology. He also discussed
the wide range of pathways to careers in IT.
On behalf of all participants, we would like
to thank Sean for the generous gift of his
time and expertise!
Homework Help in Math
Continues for 2012-2013
In order to facilitate our planning, the registration process for next year will begin in
late November. All students in Grades 9, 10,
11 and 12 will make their course selections
using the St. Paul website.
The process is as follows:
1) review the courses they need/want to
take on the website (attention to SHSM
requirements as appropriate).
2) select their courses and options on the
site.
3) submit their entry on-line.
4) print a copy of their chosen courses.
5) ensure parents sign the course selection
request
6) return the signed course selection along
with the school activity fee to the Student
Services office by the due date.
Students will be provided with an on-line
demonstration as well as designated computer time for those students who do not
have internet access at home. Activity Fees
may be paid by debit or credit card. All options/courses are filled on a first come, first
served basis. To ensure options are available,
it is very important to submit course selections early!
Guidance and Career
Education Q and A
Grade 7, 8, 9 & 10 students can access free
homework assistance in math at homeworkhelp.ilc.org. This site is supported by qualified teachers and is available in the evening
in real time.
CareerMash 2012
For the second year in a row, the Guidance
and Career Education Department hosted a
guest speaker through our school’s involvement with CareerMash (further information
on this initiative, please see careermash.ca).
already beginning the initial planning for
2013-2014!
Registration for 2013/14
I know it’s hard to believe as we’ve just
started a new school year, however, we’re
Once again this year, all parents and guardians of students currently in grade 10 are
welcome to attend an information evening
in the school library. The evening is an
informal Q & A style event where parents
and students are welcome to ask questions
about course selection and pathways to post
secondary.
The event will run from 6:30- 8:00. Hope to
see you there!
›››Technology
Futures
Although the 20122013 year in Technology has commenced
without a glitch,
there has been a slow
decrease in enrollment in the Technology courses over the
years, specifically in
the Construction and
Manufacturing areas.
Could it be the perception of Construction
and Manufacturing
as leading to low paying jobs or requiring
lots of work? Maybe it
is the perception that
these jobs require no
formal education and
that many of the jobs
in the Manufacturing
industry have gone
over seas. If that is the
case, let me tell you
otherwise. Construction and Manufacturing are the two largest
industries in this prov-
In
ince and the central hub is right here in
Mississauga and the surrounding GTA.
We are surrounded by industry which
people have come from far to work in this
province. So why are we not encouraging
our students to explore different Technologies? It seems to me that high school
is the perfect time to explore interests
and develop skills that could help for the
future. I always tell students that if there
was ever a time where our way of life is
turned upside down by devastation or loss,
we could always rely on our hand skills to
survive.
American President, Barack Obama said
in one of his debate rebuttals, granted,
much of the hard manufacturing has gone
to China, but we are a society looking
towards developing the soft manufacturing
industry in the job market. Soft Manufacturing involves the programming, electronics, and the engineering of products.
These Technological areas all require
college or university levels of education.
Most of our universities have advanced
Technology programs, Engineering programs, Design schools, Computer Studies… Having come from industry and one
of these schools, I can tell you that skill
development makes theory just a bit easier
to understand. It still begs the question:
why are our students shying away from
Technology?
There are good paying jobs out there for
Skilled Trades
our graduates and sometimes there is
no ceiling where success is concerned. I
occasionally hear this fact reiterated time
and time again, where one would walk
out into a parking lot and see two exotic
cars parked next to each other. As we read
the vanity license plates, one would read
Dentist, the other would read Plumber.
Living comfortably really boils down to
enjoying the work that you do. The students of today will be the adults of tomorrow - all being contributors to society and
owning dwellings of their own. Wouldn’t
it be great if they could be skilled in fixing, building or developing something for
themselves instead of paying someone else
to do it for them?
We are in desperate need of creative thinkers today and much of what makes up the
nature of a creative thinker is the opportunities one has been able to explore.
John Mondelli
Department Head, Art & Technology
Grade 10 Construction
Students in Grade 10 Construction Technology (TCJ2O1) build upon the skills
they learn in the Grade 9 Exploring Construction Technology course (TCJ1O1).
Students can sign up for the grade ten
course without having taken the grade
›››Technology
nine course.
TCJ2O1 has a new wrinkle, in that students are introduced to the Imperial/English system of measurement (feet, inches,
etc.). They have to master reading the ruler
properly and apply their newfound skills
by creating technical drawings (single,
two-view and three-view drawings) of
objects. Within a month of constant application, all students become comfortable
using the English system.
Students brush up on shop safety and the
operation of wood cutting machines such
as the planer, mitre-saw, jointer, bandand scroll-saws.
Hands-on projects allow them to use a variety of machines to create projects where
they demonstrate their cutting skills. They
then refine their project by filing and sanding it by hand and then finally assembling
it permanently by gluing it together. Additional equipment such as the disk sander
and table saw are introduced.
After a safety test, students use the table
saw to create a wooden scaled structural
model of a house. They learn the components and terminology that are used in
the construction industry to build a house
from the ground up.
With the skills picked up in this course,
students then are ready to enter the senior
courses, if they wish to continue in the
construction studies stream.
St. Paul CSS Electrical Program
The Electrical Construction course began
in the second semester
last year. We were able
to acquire one of the
change rooms on the
east side of the school
and convert them into
an Electrical classroom. Mr. Mondelli,
Mr. Fernandes and Mr.
DeLuca’s classes were
involved in framing the
interior of the change
room as if to resemble
the interior of a new
build home. Each
student is assigned a
studded booth where
they can work on their
practical wiring assignments.
The program is based mainly on residential wiring, work ethics and safety. Having
been in the Electrical industry for over
20 years, Mr. DeLuca’s knowledge of
electricity and its application in residential
wiring is a great educational foundation
for those pursuing careers in this industry.
He worked at the Electrical College of
Canada with pre-apprenticeship training,
and has brought a lot of experience and
teaching resources to this program, with
the hope to advance this program into a
full fledged Electrical OYAP program and
possible articulated agreements with the
colleges and the Local training unions.
Students are introduced to electrical safety
and the danger of working with electricity before any hands on practice is started.
These projects break down the different
components of the electrical system in a
residential dwelling. Students are also ex-
posed to new terminology, the use of math
in the calculation of loads and measurement.
Students will be exposed to document
reading for their information towards their
practical projects and will have to refer
to the Ontario Electrical Code for their
information retrieval.
Over the past couple of years, we have
been able to invest in the capital equipment for this course through funding from
the Energy High Skills Major to the point
where we have increased our equipment
supply so that each student has their own
service distribution center, safety apparel
and tools and carrying pouches.
Providing the proper environment for
learning will allow the students to explore
the various aspects of this trade such as
installation and troubleshooting of wiring
systems, appliances and lighting in their
own booths
We hope to continue to expand this course
into the other industry areas of the Electrical trade such as Industrial/ Commercial,
Fire Alarms, Security, Programmable
Logic Controllers and Green Energy such
as Solar electricity.
›››English
Grammar
Literature
Department Welcomes
Pretty Lady. But Julian has doubts about
his star, Dorothy Brock, whose wealthy
admirer is also the show’s backer. Events
take an unexpected turn, however, when
newcomer Peggy Sawyer wins a place in
the chorus - and in Julian’s heart.
We would also like to welcome Ms.
Karam who will be on assignment to the
English Department for at least two teaching sections this year. A former student of
St. Paul, Ms. Karam is excited to begin her
teaching career here.
Ms. Sudac and Ms. Tobin’s classes are
soon to see Romeo and Juliet as performed by the Classical Theatre Project
at the Bathurst Street Theatre. Also, Ms.
Vono and Ms. DiCarlo’s classes will be
attending the one-man version of Hamlet,
performed by the award-winning actor
Raoul Bhaneja.
We would like welcome to the English
Department Ms. Alilovic, who is very
excited to be the new Youth Director at
St. Dominic’s Parish and to be joining the
wonderful staff and students at St. Paul.
Writing and
Speech Contests
All members of the English department
try to keep students informed of the
many writing, essay and public speaking
contests which are available to students. If
you have an interest in this area, see Mr.
Kay in the English Department. There is
an InfoBoard near Room 212 and currently there is information on the upcoming Speak Up, Speak Out! Poetry Slam at
St. Joan of Arc on Wednesday November
14 from 7:00 -9:00. The event is in support of Bullying Awareness Week.
As well, there is the Young Authors
Awards with categories in short story,
poem, nonfiction and plays. Further
information, policies, procedures and
entry form are available from Mr. Kay and
will be posted on the English Department
InfoBoard.
English and Drama
Department Events
& Excursions
This semester has proven to be a very
busy one for opportunities to appreciate
theatre in the GTA and beyond for St. Paul
students.
Students of Mrs. Bentivoglio and Ms.
Tobin went to Stratford to see the musical
42nd Street. Starring Cynthia
Dale, the show revolves
around the high hopes
of director Julian
Marsh’s new show,
In mid-September Mrs. Bentivoglio and
Mr. Kay’s classes were able to see another
musical, the surprising world premiere
of Queen for A Day: The Musical at
the Richmond Hill theatre starring Alan
Thicke. Based on the first ever reality
show of the 1950’s and 1960’s, it’s a musical comedy inspired by true stories and
filled with sensational songs, laughs, and
the original charm of Reality TV.
Members of the English Department attempt to select performances that will help
the experience of literature come alive.
Please know that with all trips we try to
keep the curriculum our priority, along
with fair costs and a safe and enjoyable
experience. Please support your son or
daughter’s participation in these educational excursions.
The OSSLT/EQAO
Literacy Preparation
The St. Paul Literacy Committee is
chaired by Ms. Baglione and it is comprised of teachers from the school. The
Committee will develop strategies for the
OSSLT test which will be taking place on
April 11, 2013.
All of our Grades 9 and 10 teachers are
committed to making sure that
their courses support the OSSLT
initiative and that the students are
prepared for the test.
The OSSLT is a large-scale
Speaking
assessment written by all Grade 10
students in Ontario public and separate
schools. The OSSLT has been in place
since 2000. Its purpose is to assess the
reading and writing skills attained by all
students who have completed the Grade 9
curriculum. The test is set by the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO), an arms-length agency of
the Ontario Ministry of Education. It is
important to reduce the anxiety that many
students feel going in to the test.
Parents and students are encouraged to
visit the EQAO website; it is a useful website and it provides strategies and samples
in order to help students prepare for the
test. [www.eqao.com]
York University
Student Teachers
This year, there are three York University
Student Teachers working with Mentor
Teachers in the English Department. The
student teachers are scheduled to be in the
classroom every Wednesday and will be
observing and teaching as the semester
carries on. Each student teacher will have
a practicum block of teaching which will
be announced as developed. Ms. Francois
is working with Mrs. Bentivoglio; Ms.
Jones is working with Ms. Vono and Ms.
Del Zotti is working with Ms. Tobin - we
welcome them to the St. Paul community
and wish them every success.
Mr. Steve Burtch
Recently, our friend and colleague, Steve
Burtch, passed away.
Steve was a member of the English deptartment at St. Paul one year ago and he
had worked at other schools in Dufferin
Peel as well. He had just begun teaching in
China last month. While there, Steve fell
ill and returned home.
Shortly thereafter, Steve passed away in
hospital surrounded by his family. We
salute Steve’s zest for life, his readiness to
take on new challenges and his winning
style.
›››Athletics
Welcome
Back
Discipline, Dedication, Determination
to another year of
athletics at St. Paul! It
only took one month
into our school year
and we already had
our first OFSAA qualifier, with Eligius Paris,
coming in third at the
ROPSSAA golf tournament. Congratulations
to our junior volleyball
boys for winning the
Christ the King Tournament in Georgetown.
Flag football is up and
running, as is boys jr
and sr. boys volleyball,
girls basketball crosscountry, golf, Hockey
try-outs and Girls Volleyball try-outs. The
hiking club picked a
perfect Saturday in
October for their inaugural hike on the
Bruce Trail. Much excitement is brewing
as Miss Schlarp’s Grade 11 Body Alive
classes are planning a Girl’s Night In,
event for the grade 9 and 10 girls of St.
Paul. Stay tuned….
Golf
Coaches Ms. Schlarp and Mr. Dineen want
to congratulate Eligius Paris, Quinton
Curiale, Matthew Kvasni and Sawyer
Bloome for representing St. Paul in the
ROPSSAA golf qualifying match which
was held at Glen Eagle Golf Course on
September 24.
The cool, windy conditions definitely
provided a challenge for the boys. The
competition was tough that day and only
Eligius qualified for the next round. This
championship round was held on Monday
October 1 at Wyldewood Golf Course in
Oakville. There, Eligius scored a terrific
78 which lead him to a 3rd place finish in
the region of Peel. After winning bronze
at ROPSSAA, Eligius practiced hard in
preparation for the Provincial championships.
At OFSAA, on October 10 and 11,
Eligius played in cold, blustery conditions
at Twenty Valley Golf Club in Vineland
and finished with a score of 83. The St.
Paul community is proud of you, Eligius,
and wishes you well in your prospective
golf career.
Cross Country
Cross country did a great job this season!
They fought hard through it all and definitely showed off the school motto Omnia
Cum Corde. They trained endlessly and
put in so much hard work and dedication!
Coaches Ms. Polisano and Ms. BuenoMarcial extend a big congratulations to all
of them: Turner Harber, Aidan Morris, Nicole Farrugia, Naomi Rushe, Dena Van de
Coevering, Monika Frejlich and Angelica
Banas... you rock! Rest up those legs for
next season!
Boys’ Volleyball
The Junior Boys Volleyball team this year
has had a fantastic season. In league play,
the team was undefeated, only losing 1 set
all season. The boys entered the Joan of
Arc Invitational tournament early in the
season winning every match before running out of steam
in the championship game, losing
in 3 sets to Mount
Carmel, and took
home the silver
medal.
The following
week, the boys
made the trek to
Georgetown to
take part in the
Christ the King
tournament. After
pool play, the Wolverines were ranked
second in their pool, advancing to the
championship side of the tournament. In
the semi-finals St. Paul faced Georgetown
District High School splitting the first two
sets. Going down 10-3 in the third set, the
Wolverines battled back against all odds
to win the set 16-14 and advanced to the
Gold Medal Game against host school
Christ the King. St. Paul easily defeated
›››Athletics
the home school in two straight sets, taking home the Gold Medal.
Senior Boys’
Volleyball
The Senior Boys Volleyball team had a
great season despite some key injuries
at inopportune times. Going into the last
game of the season, the Wolverines were
7-5 and had their eyes set to yet another
OFSAA qualification.
Earlier this season, the boys travelled to
Georgetown and took part in the Christ the
King tournament where they played great
against some tough competition. The team
played strongly at the Joan of Arc Invitational and were ramping up for OFSAA
qualification.
Girls’ Night In
Excitement is certainly brewing at St.
Paul, as the Grade 11 Body Alive girls, are
helping plan our first Girls’ Night In event
being held in early December.
The event is being held to help build a
sense of community amongst the grades 9
and 10 girls, empower the girls to become comfortable in their own bodies, by
participating in a variety of fun physical
activities such a dance, fitness, yoga. Our
(surprise) Olympian, keynote speaker and
other guests, will bring the same message
of empowerment for girls. Besides the
wellness based evening, we will team up
with Because I’m a Girl charity and they
will come and speak to the girls about
making a difference through volunteering.
The fee for the evening will include, dinner, a t-shirt and a donation to “Because
I’m a Girl.
Bruce Trail Club
The Bruce Trail club kicked off their
year with a spectacular hike to the Bruce
Trail on October 20. Although they had
called for rain all week, the weather
turned in our favour and the sun shone
on the brilliantly coloured fall leaves.
The group of 22 hikers was lead by
Jeanette Vincent, Bruce Trail hike leader,
as we hiked 10 kilometres on the beautiful
section of the Bruce Trail- Mono Cliffs
Provincial. We were especially happy that
so many grade 9 students joined the hiking
club. Stay tuned for more information on
our future outdoor activities.
Outdoor Education
Ciara Zogheib, grade 9 student, shares
her opinion on the Bruce Trail hike on
October 11.
Personally, I enjoyed the entire tripchallenges and all! Hiking can often teach
you new things about yourself, and the
world that you didn’t know. It will never
cease to amaze me how beautiful our
country is, and how lucky we are to have
preserved this amazing piece of land and
history. It truly humbles me to think about
the incredible place that is God’s world,
and I realize that I play such a small part
in something that is bigger that I could
ever imagine! Whenever I return from a
nature outing, these feelings are stronger
than ever! I think hiking can really play a
big part in how we view ourselves in the
grand scheme of things. Hiking the Bruce
Trail was something I wouldn’t have
wanted to miss, and I’m so glad I didn’t!
It was exciting, challenging, but kind of
peaceful at the same time. I got to learn so
much about my classmates and the time
we spent together was invaluable. Everyone has been so welcoming and friendly
all year, and on the hike, I felt as though
I was with a group of my old friends. I
knew I was doing something good for
my body, while also enjoying myself and
experiencing something totally new. I’m
more than happy that I signed up for the
additional hike next Saturday.
Peel Students
Out of Shape
One of the biggest mistakes the Ministry
of Education made in Ontario, was making
PHE an option in High School, except
for the one compulsory credit in grades 9
or 10. Since when is health an option? A
health study conducted in Dufferin-Peel
and Peel schools in 2011, has shown that
three out of four students entering high
school in Peel Region are “already in such
poor physical shape that their health is
already at considerable risk.”
Many teens are engaging in unhealthybehaviours such as increased levels of
smoking and drug use, poor nutrition, and
increasingly sedentary lifestyles. Since
the condensed curriculum prevents many
students from taking physical education in
the higher grades, it then becomes more
imperative that the physical and health
education fall on the families to make
sure their children maintain healthy active
lifestyles. Mental Health has played a
big role in the media lately with Amanda
Todd’s death in British Columbia. She
struggled with depression, a mental illness
for a few years prior to her being bullied and her subsequent death. Many of
our students struggle with stress, anxiety,
depression and a variety of other mental
health issues and unless they take Physical Education in grades 11 and 12, where
Mental Health is addressed, they will continue to suffer in silence and not address
these critical issues. CAMH is finding that
nearly half of female students are showing
increased rates of psychological distress,
compared to 24% of boys. These statistics
cannot be ignored any longer! Mental
health, like physical health, should not
be hidden as
something to
be ashamed
of, but rather
addressed,
treated and
conquered.
(Brampton
Guardian
October 12,
2012)
Talent Night 2012
Talent Night returns for
what is looking to be
another fantastic show.
October 16 & 17 were
very busy as we auditioned close to 40 acts for
this year’s popular variety
show. Vocalists, rock
bands, dancers and acoustic performers have been
honing their acts over the
last few weeks as they
prepare for the show.
Behind the scenes, posters
are being put up, tickets
designed, lights are being
set and film crews are
developing short movies
and animations to support
the show. Backstage and
video crews have been
practicing at their stations
in order to bring you a
well polished, professional show. Our MC’s,,
Evan Bezmer, Michael
Turk, Alessia Ferrin and
Nicole Adamczyk have
been hard at work preparing their own brand of
entertainment to string all
of the acts together.
Talent Night will be on
stage on Friday, November 23 at 7:00 pm. Parents, families and friends
are all welcome. Tickets
for this one night only
show can be purchased in
the cafeteria in advance
($10.00) or at the door
($12.00).
Talent Night has traditionally played to a sold out
crowd, so get your tickets
early if you want to witness what has come to be
the school’s most anticipated event of the year!
›››Bits & Bites
Omnia Cum Corde
ACT NOW
ACT NOW is a combination of students
and teachers who work together to promote awareness of social justice issues
within the community and the world. ACT
NOW (A Chance to Notice Our World) is
dedicated to raising money and goods for
Dr. Simone’s Warehouse, St. Dominic’s
Parish and other local organizations.
ACT NOW has already begun its work
this year with its annual Thanksgiving
Food Drive. This year’s food drive was a
success and all food collected was sent to
St. Dominic’s Parish and will help local
families in need. Thank you to all St. Paul
students and staff who participated in the
drive, but especially to Mr. Fernandes’
grade 9 homeroom, Ms. Alilovic’s grade
10 homeroom, Ms. Schlarp’s grade 11
homeroom, Ms. Vono’s grade 12 homeroom and our wonderful PIP students and
staff, for collecting the most items in their
grade level.
ACT NOW is looking forward to a successful first semester and encourages all
students to get involved! This Semester,
ACT NOW events include cleaning
Cawthra Bush, Halloween Hard Candy
Collection for Dr. Simone’s Warehouse,
Street Patrol and November Tulip Sales
(in remembrance of loved ones who have
passed away).
Also, in December, the ACT NOW committee will be holding its 8th Annual
Christmas Raffle. All money collected
goes to helping families within the school
community who need some help around
the Christmas season. If you are able to
donate to the raffle, or have any questions,
please contact Ms. Vono at ext.77209.
Your generosity would be greatly appreciated!
My Coop Experience
By Keith Matush
It can be overwhelming deciding what you
want to do for the rest of your life, while
still being in high school. I know personally I wasn’t sure about anything for the
longest time, only somewhat knowing that
I wanted to get into some form of media
or technology. I figured I would give coop
a shot, and I now know what I want to do
for the rest of my life.
I have been doing coop at Rogers TV for
the last couple months, and I am absolutely loving it! My placement consists of
two distinct areas: Studio work and mobile
work. A few days a week I am in the
Rogers studio, helping with the production of shows like Daytime, Auto Talk,
and Peel Sports. What is so great about
the studio is the opportunities given to try
out a little bit of everything. It’s cool that
you are encouraged to try camera, VTR,
audio, graphics and switcher, but it’s really
cool that they encourage you to do what
you like, and get really good at it. The
other half of the time I am on mobiles.
I’ve done many OHL games, a few high
school football games, and even a haunted
house around Halloween. For the mobiles,
we have to set up cameras, audio, build
graphics and more. These can be very fun
because you get to learn so much, and see
so many different places.
I have been lucky to get the opportunity
to co-op at Rogers TV. Thanks to this,
I now know I want to get into the TV
broadcasting field. If you think there might
be something you want to do for the rest
of your life, I would suggest taking a
semester to do coop. This has helped me
so much, and I would hope it could help
you too.
Looking Ahead
Please take note of the following dates to
help you plan out your fall calendar.
Mid Term Report Cards........November 15
PA Day..................................November 16
Talent Night..........................November 23
Parent Council Meeting........November 28
Grade 8 Open House............... December 5
Co-Op Showcase........................ December
Advent Mass.............................. December
Christmas Holidays........... Dec. 24 - Jan. 4
Last Day Semester 1................. January 22
First Semester Exams.........January 23 - 29