Central Education Guide - Winter 2013

Another MulticomMedia PublicationAnother MulticomMedia Publication

CENTRAL EDITIONCENTRAL EDITION

Schools work to make their communities better

Helping out

• Seeing things Program helps students notice stuff others miss

• March is coming fast

It’s never too early to start thinking about

Spring Break camps

WINTER 2013

EDUCATION AND CAMPSEDUCATION AND CAMPSWINTER 2013

Accepting for

September 2013 and January 2014

OPEN HOUSESThursday April 25th, 2013

3:00pm - 8:00pmThursday May 30th, 2013

6:00pm - 8:00pm

WINTER 2013 TOwN CRIER EDUCATION & CAMPS GUIDE 3

Inside the Education Guide

4 HELPING HANDS: Students from across the city find ways to make their communities better places to live.

8 THE BIG CHOICE: Doing your homework could mean the difference between a wonderful educational expe-rience for your child and getting ripped off.

10 DID YOU SEE THAT? Teaching students to notice the things that others miss.

12 IMPORTANT TRAIT: Why being intellectually curious will stand you in good stead.

13–18

A YEAR IN PICTURES: Photos from many of the exciting things that our schools and students have been up to.

28 SPRING’S COMING: It’s never too early to start planning for March Break.

32 PEOPLE TO BE PROUD OF: Three great folks share their inspiring tales.Plus lots more!

For a limited time only, you can also find this guide on our corporate website: www.MyTownCrier.ca

101 Wingold Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M6B 1P8

Tel: 416 785-4300 Fax: 416 785-7350

MulticomMedia is a wholly owned subsidiary of Multimedia NOVA Corporation, an integrated communications company publicly traded on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol MNC.A

Another MulticomMedia PublicationDiversity Publishers & Printers

Printed and Distributed by

105 Wingold Avenue, Toronto, ON M6B 1P8

For all your printing and distribution needs call:416 785 4311 ext. 614

Another MulticomMedia PublicationAnother MulticomMedia PublicationCENTRAL EDITIONCENTRAL EDITION

Schools work to make their

communities better

Helping out

• Seeing thingsProgram helps students

notice stuff others miss

• March is coming fast

It’s never too early to start thinking about Spring Break camps

WINTER 2013EDUCATION AND CAMPSEDUCATION AND CAMPSWINTER 2013

LET’S MAKE ART: Branksome Hall’s Nev takes a short break from creat-ing her plasticine masterpiece.

FrANCiS CrESCiA/TOWN CriEr

Tony Baron DirECTOr OF PriNT AND

DiSTriBuTiON

James Arscott PrEPrESS MANAgEr

Anna Maria Arcuri grOuP CirCulATiON

MANAgEr

Lori Abittan PuBliSHEr

Joe Mastrogiacomo ViCE PrESiDENT OF

FiNANCE

Doreen Iannuzzi ViCE PrESiDENT OF

NEW MEDiA

EDiTOriAl

Gordon Cameron MANAgiNg EDiTOr

Ann Ruppenstein SPECiAl PrOJECTS EDiTOr

Shadi Raoufi EDiTOriAl ArT DirECTOr

PrODuCTiON SErViCES

Tony Lomuto SuPErViSOr

Dino DiMaria PrODuCTiON

ADVErTiSiNg & SAlES

Jennifer Gardiner DirECTOr, COrPOrATE

SAlES Kathy Kerluke

BuSiNESS MANAgEr

� EDUCATION & CAMPS GUIDE TOwN CRIER WINTER 2013

Com

mun

ity p

artn

ersh

ips

By Ann RuppenSTeIn

In 2009, a group of Havergal College students wanted to engage in community partnership through sports. After teaming with several schools around the city, the sporty days were so successful the students came up with the idea for a two-week long community sports camp.

“The coaches are national team and Olym-pic athletes so that’s really neat and that, in its first year, was really tiny and it’s now capping at 100 campers and it’s just got great traction,” says Havergal’s Ann Peel.

The Jumpstart Athletes in Motion Sport for Community Camp, which takes place at the school in August, is attended by students from schools like Derrydown Public School, Birch-mount Park Collegiate Institute and Lawrence Heights Middle School and features camp counselors from Havergal, as well as their friends, and former campers who came back to volunteer after graduating.

“We’ve got kids from high schools all over the city really being [leaders in training] and camp counsellors as word spreads of this opportunity,” says Peel. “They’re volunteers, they just do it for fun but they get to play sports for two weeks with these kids and get to know them and then those kids can come back and be counsellors and [leaders in training] and it’s just a really virtuous circle of engagement and participation.”

As director of the Institute at Havergal Col-lege, Peel says its role is to bring the school’s mission to prepare young women to make a difference in the world to life. As part of the process, they focus on community partnerships but they also run other initiatives for students including international excursions and service projects.

“It’s essentially a vehicle for students to bring a change in the world in community part-nerships,” Peel says. “We are mainly engaging in our own world in Toronto, they learn about different people and develop relationships with those people and become familiar with different ways of living.”

Most of the local community partnerships stem from students’ ideas and in the current school year include a partnership with Grenoble Public School, where they do homework and explore what it means to be Canadian with a group of grade 5 students, and an online radio show for Accessible Media Inc. called Teen Talk.

“Our students are working on a youth-ori-ented radio show for youth who are blind so the radio show is oriented towards entertainment

and they essentially review what’s been in print on youth entertainment and turn it into a radio show,” she says.

Havergal students also partner with students from Pauline Johnson Junior Public School to focus on running and reading in a program called Start2Finish.

“We run with kids for an hour and then we read with them for an hour building literacy and physical activity as well,” Peel says, add-ing that the program takes place once a week outside of school hours. “Then we have a rela-tionship with Best Buddies, which is on more of an occasional basis where our girls buddy with kids with disabilities and they do things together throughout the year on a more occa-sional basis.”

Every year, the school also holds a Cel-ebration Saturday, which includes a bake sale, auction, games and farmers market, in support of the school’s community partnerships. This year the event raised $54,755, which supports the projects.

“At our partnership with Lawrence Heights

Middle School, they are going to be supporting a video game design program that’s been made part of the after school programming that we’re doing,” Peel says. “Essentially the students decide with the partners what the proposal is for the funding, so we try to have it be so that the part-nership can do something they otherwise wouldn’t be able to do.”

Through the experi-ence, the biggest thing stu-dents takeaway is the rela-tionships they build with other kids, she says.

“You only learn so much sitting in a class-room,” Peel says. “You can learn the theory of the world sitting in a classroom. It’s very impor-tant to get out and experience the world both in our own city and internationally we think to bring that knowledge of the world to life.”

Reaching outHavergal College students bring their skills to those in need of help

PHOTO COurTESy HAVErgAl COllEgE

RUN AND READ: Among their partnerships within the community, students from Havergal College work with students from Pauline Johnson Junior Public School where they help exercise both the students’ bodies and minds.

“You can only learn so much

sitting in a classroom.”

WINTER 2013 TOwN CRIER EDUCATION & CAMPS GUIDE �

PR

OO

F

Tow

n C

rier

ToronTo and Mississauga are wonderful places to live. But they are only two of the possibilities open to TFs graduates in pursuit of their dreams. our graduates are bilingual, armed with international Baccalaureate diplomas. They are the products of an active co-educational learning environment that, for over 50 years, has promoted world-class academic excellence and rigour. an environment that nurtures the perspective they need to become independent, internationally minded thinkers who can succeed anywhere with anyone around the globe. www.tfs.ca

OUR schOOl. thOse OtheR schOOls.

By pAuLA SAnDeRSon

A day for charity

Com

mun

ity p

artn

ersh

ips

Decked out in red T-shirts, 470 girls from St. Clement’s School headed out into the community and volunteered at 28 differ-ent charities on Dec.17.

From daycares to food banks, Clementines embraced the school’s second annual Community Service Day.

“I think we’re so fortunate,” says grade 11 student Joanne Whyte. “I have an amazing family, I live in Toronto, and we’re so lucky to go to an amazing school. There are a lot of people who just aren’t as fortunate so to be able to give back and help them is very important to me.”

For her part, Whyte volunteered at St. Michael’s Day Care.

“I love working with kids, so clearly coming to a day care was a good option,” says Whyte. “It’s really neat how the

PAulA SANDErSON/TOWN CriEr

BUNDLE UP: A pair of St. Clement’s School students prepare to take a group of preschoolers out to play during the school’s annual Community Service Day.

St. Clement’s students get a taste of what needs to be done

CONTINUED Page 7


MONTCRESTSCHOOL

OPEN HOUSE

Nurture your child's love of learning atMontcrest School.Co-educational

JK-Grade 8Independent

www.montcrest.on.caiJANUARY 18TH

learning

Com

mun

ity p

artn

ersh

ips

By TRISTAn CARTeR

Stories and smiles filled the room as a group of grade 8 students from TFS visited a nearby nursing home before the holidays.

There was a noticeable age gap between participants but few lulls in their conversations. The students seemed glad to be there, and the residents of the Salvation Army Isabel and Arthur Meighen Manor seemed to welcome the visit.

“They don’t really get to see a lot of young people so I think it made them happy to be able to talk to us and get to know us,” said TFS student Alyssa Kastner of the residents. “One of them, she knew my school when it was just a little house and her dad used to horse-back ride around the school so I thought that was really cool.”

The inter-generational gathering was one of nine community events attended by TFS staff, students and parent volunteers on the morning of Dec. 6. Groups of students vis-ited places such as the North York Women’s Shelter and Moorelands Community Centre. In all, 90 grade 8’s left their classrooms to lend a helping hand.

According to the school’s dean of student affairs, Kim English, a special emphasis is placed on vol-unteerism at TFS.

“I think that there’s a lot that

students can learn through these experiences,” English said. “Peo-ple talk about educating the whole child and empathy is a huge part.”

For many of the students, it was their first taste of community service but they will have several more chances to help out in later grades.

All Ontario high school students are to give 40 hours of volunteer work to the community. The Inter-national Baccalaureate program provided at TFS also requires com-munity service, but the school has taken it a step further, asking stu-dents to make a long term commit-ment to a non-profit organization.

“We’ve kind of taken that requirement and we’ve sort of put our TFS spin on it,” English said. “It’s more meaningful for organiza-tions and for the students to volun-teer in the same place for a longer period of time because the students really get to know that organization and the issues that surround it.”

In grade 11, students are asked

to find time to volunteer at least once a week for several months, depending on what kind of work they are doing. In the past, young volunteers have spent time with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Lawyers Feed the Hun-gry and Out of the Cold as part of their long term service projects.

After her time at Meighen Manor, Kastner said she hopes to lend her time to help seniors.

“I really like working with the elderly so I’ll probably do some-thing like that for my service proj-ect,” she said.

Next year, she and others in grades 9–11 will be eligible to take part in a community service trip outside of their own community — all the way in Ecuador.

Last March Break, students helped build a clean water irrigation ditch for a small village. This com-

learning to help othersCommitment to a cause key for TFS students

TriSTAN CArTEr/TOWN CriEr

HERE TO LISTEN: TFS student Alyssa Kastner, left, spent the morning of Dec. 6 talking to residents of Isabel and Arthur Meighen Manor, including Joan Mansfield, as part of her school’s community service day.


Whole Child. Whole Life. Whole World.416.443.1030 bayviewglen.ca

Leadership grows at BVG Prep SchoolBayview Glen Prep School students from Grades 6 to 8 are nurtured to explore their talents and find the leader within – whether participating in Student Council, playing on House Leagues or tackling outdoor adventure camp.

Let us tell you more about BVG.Public Open House: SAT. FEB. 2, 2013 1:00-3:00PM

learning to help othersing year they may be tasked with helping to construct a new school.

English, who has been on the trip herself, admitted it can be bitter-sweet for the students.

“They loved it,” she said. “I think they especially loved being with the kids from the community. But there’s a lot of malnutrition. It was sad in many ways.”

Students don’t have to leave school to give back. The school’s Out-reach Club organizes events such as World Vision’s 30 Hour Famine as

well as various food drives for North York Har-vest Food Bank and toy drives for the six fami-lies the school sponsors through Moorelands.

“We’re caring. We want to help other peo-ple,” said Gianni Prenol who spent the day packing gifts at Moorelands. “We’re all equally important here, some are just less fortunate than others.”

English said she hopes the volunteer trips helped hammer home that message for all of the students. After returning to school, the separate groups spoke to the rest of their grade about what they had seen and done that day.

“It’s really nice because even though these students were here they still get to benefit from hearing about all the other experiences too,” English said. “So as they get older they can then kind of decide what organizations they might be interested in.

“We try to work with organizations that can use the help of our stu-dents,” she said. “If we can send students out once in a while to engage and be helpful then we need to do that. It’s our responsibility as citizens to participate in and support our communities.”

“we’re caring. we want to help other people.”

whole school gets out and goes through out Toronto and makes a big difference.”

Fellow student Mimi Dacon agrees. Dacon missed last year’s Com-munity Service Day because she was volunteering in Kenya but was happy to be at St. Michael’s Day Care this year.

“Volunteering is fun for me because I know I’m doing something good for the community and it’s a break from homework,” she says smiling.

Dacon explained that all students in grades 9–12 were able to choose where they go.

“You go into the lunch room and there are different sign up sheets and there was gift wrapping, can food drives, sorting gifts, sorting clothes for other Christmas-related activities and because I love work-ing with kids I picked this one,” she explained.

All Ontario high school students have to complete 40 hours of community service, but for Dacon volunteering is more than that.

“It shouldn’t just be to fill those required hours you need to gradu-ate,” says Dacon. “I know my community has done so much for me and contributed so much to me and my childhood. As a high school student you reciprocate all that love you were given as a child you give back to your community.”

Guidance counsellor Vanessa Wade says that a volunteer event, like the school’s Community Service Day, is very important for students to undertake.

“The opportunity to be outside of our direct community I think is a great learning opportunity for them,” she says. “It’s the spirit of giving.”

Student Quinlan Hickey, who spent her day cooking food for the Out of the Cold program at Glenview Presbyterian Church, says she was very satisfied with the whole experience.

“It was a lot of fun,” says Hickey. “This really felt like you were helping someone directly.”

Cont. from Page 5

TriSTAN CArTEr/TOWN CriEr

SANTA’S HELPERS: Gianni Prenol, left and Grace Donahue help load up a cart full of gifts destined for those in need at the Moorelands Community Centre.


The WILL to Learn

The COURAGE to Act

The CONFIDENCE to Succeed

www.sunnybrookschool.ca

SUNNYBROOK SCHOOLJK - GRADE 6IB PYP

OPEN HOUSESFeb. 7 1 :30 - 3:00

April 10 1:30 - 3:00

TOURSby appointment416 487 5308

VisitSunnybrook

Ages 1.5years - 12years.

A qu

estio

n of

cre

dibi

lity

By ChRISTeLLe AGBoKA

Every year, well-intentioned parents seek out pri-vate school education for their children. For these families, benefits such as academic enrichment, increased parental involvement and a safe, caring community of students and teachers outweigh the costs, financial or otherwise.

Because there are innumerable approaches to education, finding a school that matches one’s own perspective can create a positive, produc-tive academic experience for your child. Whether you prefer the student-directed learning method of Montessori, or the arts-based curriculum of a Waldorf school, choosing the right school will not only allow students to thrive in a supportive envi-ronment and build independence, but also gain unique skills that fit their learning style.

With options ranging from boarding schools to modern alternative curricula, there is almost certainly a school to suit each and every child. But parents must take the time to find the best fit for their child and avoid schools of questionable reputation.

Many private and independent schools belong to provincial, national or international associa-tions that either govern their curriculum or opera-tions, or provide professional development and support for teachers. This accreditation can be an important factor, as it provides a third party refer-ence and credibility for the school.

However, media reports on credit mills — schools boosting student marks and reducing course requirements for a cost — loose regula-tions around starting up a private school and private school teacher and principal qualifications may give parents pause.

To help ensure the credibility of your private school options consider taking the following steps:

Seek out private schools within larger asso-ciations such as the Ontario Federation

of Independent Schools, Canadian Accredited Independent Schools and the Conference of Inde-pendent Schools of Ontario. According to Confer-ence of Independent Schools Ontario director Jan Campbell, groups such as hers have “rigorous membership criteria ensure that member schools are reputable, financially stable institutions with strong academic programming.”

Once you’ve selected a few target schools, start your research beginning

online. A strong website will provide links to information including academic and extra-curric-ular programming, accreditation, history/longev-ity and financial backing. Campbell also suggests looking for schools with strong financial backing that funds scholarships and bursaries.

Visit the school to further investigate its personnel, standards and general envi-

ronment. While there, ask questions about critical points including teacher and staff qualifications, school governance and leadership structure (e.g., a strong board of governors working hand-in-hand with school administration), curriculum and academic standards, opportunities for student learning outside of class, and graduate outcomes. While there, you may also request the names of parents of current students to speak with at a later date.

Leave no stone unturned in your inves-tigation. External sites such as the

Ontario Ministry of Education will also prove helpful. Some of the resources available include consumer tips and a list of schools where credit-granting authority has been revoked.

Remember, private school education is an investment. Take the time to make sure your investment is sound.

Give your kids the best school experience this year. Find top schools across the country at www.ourkids.net/school.

Do your homework when picking a school

Choose wiselyPHOTO COurTESy Our kiDS MEDiA

2

3

4

1


We will encourage him to chase his dreams. At Sterling Hall, we know that boys are a different breed. We understand their needs and realize how vital the formative JK to Grade 8 years are, preparing them for the rest of their lives. We use tactile tools and theme-based programming that appeal to boys, as well as reading strategies and hands-on activities that are all designed specifically for them. What’s more, we have small class sizes, low student-to-teacher ratios, leadership opportunities and excellent teachers willing to take the time to celebrate your boy’s individuality and strengths. 416.785.3410 sterlinghall.comPlease call us for a

tour of the school.

25 YEARS STRONG

By eRIC eMIn WooD

Wgetting the timing right

Just when is the best time for your kids to start at a private or independent school?

ith Ontario’s high school teachers cancelling extracurricular activi-ties, and elementary school teachers across the province participating in rotating strikes, parents might be wondering if it’s a good time to look into enrolling their children in pri-vate or independent school.

But will grade 1 students succeed if they attended kindergarten in pub-lic school? Is grade 4 too late? What about grade 10?

Just when is the best time to enrol kids in private education?

Many private and independent school’s say that timing should be a personal decision due to many fac-tors, including finances, proximity to the school and whether the child has siblings.

However, Montcrest School’s director of admissions Michael Dil-worth says students should get start-ed as soon as they can in order to be successful.

“In the elementary years you’re building that foun-dation for learn-ing,” he says. “The only disadvantage, quite frankly, is the cost.”

Royal St. George’s College’s Tom Stevens says the best time to begin schooling outside the public system, if not from the beginning, is

grade 7, calling grades 7, 8 and 9 incredibly formative years for boys.

“Boys tend to learn by doing, not necessarily by hearing or by read-ing,” he says. “For example, today I was teaching grade 10 math. In the last 10 minutes of class we took a walk outside. We looked at car head-lights and talked about how they’re parabolic mirrors described by a qua-dratic equation, and the actual light doesn’t face out towards the road — it faces towards the mirror.”

Wayne McKelvey, principal of Metropolitan Preparatory Academy, recommends enrolling kids in grade 9 at the latest.

“We get inundated for grades 10,

Is grade 4 too late? what about grade 10?

11 and 12,” he says. “If parents are going into the private sector, the earlier the better.”

Havergal College perfers stu-dents to enroll at established entry

points of either junior kindergar-ten, grade 1, grade 4, grade 7 or grade 9.

“As part of our planning for those entry points, we have a very

solid transition program in place — not just for our girls, but for their parents as well,” says the school’s director of admissions Maggie Houston-White.

10 EDUCATION & CAMPS GUIDE TOwN CRIER WINTER 2013

Waldorf Academy Graduates are:

Waldorf Academy Graduates are:

Middle School Drop-in

January 25, 10:00 am -11:30 am

Students in Gr.6 & 7 can sample 3 teachers and 3 classes

Registration Required

www.waldorfacademy.org

The School of Thought

Registration Required

www.waldorfacademy.org

Students in Gr.6 & 7 can sample3 teachers and 3 classes

Middle School Drop-in

January 25, 10:00 am - 11:30 am

Eye-

open

ing

curri

culu

m

By LoRI ConnoR For Branksome Hall and Upper Canada College, solving the world’s problems begins with a few magic tricks.

Illusionist Ray Chance treated a gym full of grade 8 students to exercises in misdirection: guess-ing cards, emptying cups of water and cutting open a grapefruit to reveal a $10 bill.

For most schools, it would be an entertaining diversion. But this show had education in mind.

“They had a good way to keep our attention,” says Branksome Hall student Annalisa Lowenstein. “They’re teaching us a bunch of stuff in ways that we wouldn’t usually see.”

The magic served as a introduction to the Rot-man School of Management’s annual iThink initia-tive at Branksome Hall, a day-long class in what it calls integrative thinking.

The purpose of the program is to make students notice things they wouldn’t have noticed before, says Nogah Kornberg, who has spent three years developing integrative thinking at Rotman.

“There is too much information in the world for our brains to take it all in,” Kornberg says. “Our brains have developed in a way that we remember what we think is most important. Once we realize we miss information, we can be better at seeking it out and we can be better at trying to find cool things in the world that we may have missed oth-erwise.”

And by understanding that one’s viewpoint is limited and that other people perceive the world differently, students can come up with new, compre-hensive solutions to some of the world’s problems.

“A magician is such a perfect way to start the day,” Kornberg says. “Magic works because there’s stuff we’re paying attention to, but the stuff we don’t pay attention to is what makes magic so magical.”

After the show, students broke off into groups to explore displays designed to make them second-guess what they perceive.

In one room, they viewed unlabelled photo-graphs of people and tried to guess why the sub-jects are famous. One yearbook photo of a pudgy, bespectacled boy garnered guesses like “CEO” or “computer programmer” — when it was really tel-evision personality Ryan Seacrest.

Students walked a gallery of optical illusions, watched a video on stereotypes, participated in debates, and built structures from spaghetti noodles by borrowing each other’s ideas.

“I think they’ve taken a much different approach than a lot of the teachers I’ve had in the past,” says Kimathi Muiruri, one of the boys visiting from Upper Canada College. “It’s extremely different, but different in a good way, as in it includes us. It’s not just a teacher telling us about learning. It’s a teacher helping us learn how we learn. I like that approach because it gives us a chance to discover us, opposed to a test or a survey telling us who we are.”

Lowenstein also finds it effective. “I find it really useful to do hands-on work

because it’s a lot more interactive than sitting at a desk or on your computer,” she says.

The iThink program began at Branksome Hall four years ago, was originally designed for Masters of Business Administration and company execu-tives, Kornberg says. Rotman first brought it to Branksome as a 10-week after-school class for grade 10 girls.

“They demonstrated the capacity of young peo-ple to think if given the tools and the support to do so,” Kornberg says.

She says Rotman plans to further modify the program for children as young as kindergarten, encouraging their inherent curiosity and fostering it as they grow.

“The full-day program, like the one here, is unique to UCC and Branksome Hall,” Kornberg says. Rotman is looking into expanding the curricu-lum into grades 8 through 10 at the school.

“I have students who are in grade 11, and they remember this program,” says Branksome Hall teacher Giles Pinto. “They get challenged.

“The research shows us: if the kids don’t feel comfortable, secure, connected to other people, par-ticularly girls, we will have problems with learning. We have to go back to that step and make them feel like they have the tools.”

Muiruri says that being equipped with these tools helps integrative thinkers to become better people.

“You become an individual,” he says. “You become your own. I believe that if everybody was the same, it would be an extremely boring world, so I think learning how you perceive is good.”

it’s all how you see itTeaching students a whole new way to think

PHOTO COurTESy JuilA DrAkE

IT’S A MARSHMALLOW LESSON: Students from Branksome Hall and Upper Canada College work together to build a structure with spaghetti noodles, tape, string, and a marshmallow to teach them different ways of thinking.

WINTER 2013 TOwN CRIER EDUCATION & CAMPS GUIDE 11

The Toronto Prep School education experience includes: a semestered, university preparatory curriculum, a MacBook Pro or iPad with educational software, GoodLife Fitness membership, an extended after school study program, a Saturday Club study program, maximum class size of 16 students , extra-curricular clubs and athletic program, and a dedicated, passionate and experienced faculty.

The Toronto Prep School is a private, co-educational, university preparatory,day school for discerning students and parents

250 Davisville Avenue, Toronto416.545.1020

www.torontoprepschool.comwww.tpshome.wikispaces.com

Contact Fouli Tsimikalis,Director of Admissions at

[email protected]

Open HOuse dates:sat., February 23, 2013 - 11:00 am to 2:00 pm

sat., april 20, 2013 - 11:00 am to 2:00 pm

By Ann RuppenSTeIn

Bayview glen on top

Tech

nolo

gica

l sol

utio

n

When Derek Gaudet joined Bayview Glen three years ago he joked that the newly formed robotics team were expected to win.

Last year, the boys’ Ctrl-Z robotics team won big.“I was teasing them and they went off and they won, and they won at

the regional level and then they won at the provincial level and then they came in third in the world,” says the assistant head of the prep school. “I again made another joke that got me in trouble when I said that if they had done well at the world level then I would think about hosting the tourna-ment.”

This September, he was approached by Dave Ellis, the head of Ontario’s Robotics League about holding the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Lego League Robotics East Championship Qualifier on Dec. 1. He agreed to host the day which saw students apply their math and science knowledge to research, design, build and program autonomous robots using Lego Mindstorms software.

The focus of the regional competition was on ways to improve the quality of life for seniors. Over 100 students from ages 9 to 14 participated from nearly a dozen schools in Ontario. Management from Thales Canada, the engineering firm who sponsored the competition, physicians and pro-fessors from the University of Toronto were on hand to judge the event.

“We had a wide variety of professionals that took on the roll of judges and when I was watching them do their deliberation and make their final decisions I was just amazed at how dedicated they were to the process,” Gaudet says. “When I talked to them afterwards, they said that they had seen how much hard work and dedication the students had put into it that they felt that they owed it to the kids to put in as much as they did.”

For their “senior solution,” Bayview Glen’s girls’ iGo robotics team, which consisted of Danielle Tse, Imaan Hirji, Megan Lai, Katherine Tom and Sophie Warlow, came up with an idea to help seniors go up and down flights of stairs.

“Basically it is a front cross bar that a senior can hold onto while going up and down the stairs with a metal track installed on the side on the walls with screws that will lock when you put any pressure on it,” Lai says.

The competition was divided into different parts, including robot design, core values and the overall project, how well a team demonstrated its solution for a real-world problem, and the research behind its solution.

After dueling it out all day, Bayview Glen’s iGo robotics team came out on top at and advanced to the provincials in January.

“On that day of the robotics competition we were all pretty jumpy and jittery,” Warlow says. “We were excited but nervous, confident and excited at the same time. We didn’t know what to think but in the end it turned out really well and we all worked really well as a team and it came together very well.”

Aside from Lai, this is the first time the girls on the team participated in robotics and they signed up for the extra-curricular activity after hearing about how much fun she had, they say.

“The great thing about robotics is that it’s a real world experience, it’s not something out of the textbook, it encompasses many things,” Gaudet says. “It’s problem solving, it’s team building, it’s creative thinking, it’s programming a computer, it’s building a robot, and it just encompasses so many different facets that I think the students walk away having chal-lenged themselves to something they’d never get in the classroom.”

Robotics team on to provincials

PHOTO COurTESy BAyViEW glEN

MINDSTORM: Katherine Tom, left, Imaan Hirji and Danielle Tse helped their team iGo to win the FIRST Lego League Robotics East Championship Qualifier.

12 EDUCATION & CAMPS GUIDE TOwN CRIER WINTER 2013

Jan 29 9:30-11:30amFeb 20 9:30-11:30amApr 17 9:30-11:30amMay 13 9:30-11:30am

Insi

ght f

rom

edu

cato

rs

By MARThA peRRy

Everywhere you turn, there are articles, blogs, and books about education and the urgent need to acknowledge that its delivery and setting need to change. We are preparing our learn-ers for a very different future, which requires us to reflect on the tools and approaches we use to enable their learning. There is a call for a drastic overhaul of our approach.

As a school leader, I find myself amazed by the innumerable con-cepts and approaches — sometimes defined in multiple ways — cur-rently being presented in the field of education.

We hear about 21st century learning, collaboration, reflection,

visible learning and teaching, mind-fulness, digital literacy, technologi-cal integration, and authentic and balanced assessment, to name but a few. And while these ideas are not necessarily complex, the difficulty lies in keeping up with them all — as one idea fades, several others replace it.

I often wonder how those not familiar with the educational realm feel. Certainly it is important that these topics are all considered as we work to prepare students for a future that is dynamic and unpre-dictable. I find that when faced with a deluge of information, I often seek the common elements

and understanding that we know to be true if our students are to truly benefit from whatever it is that edu-cation provides us — whether it be in the 21st or the 25th century.

Several years ago, in my role as director of admissions at St. Clem-ent’s School, I found that fami-lies going through the admission process would ask me to describe a “typical Clementine.” I always found this question interesting as I believe strongly that there is simply not one “type” of student at any school. While all our girls share the identity of being St. Clement’s students, they arrive as, and will remain, individuals: diverse in their personalities, their perspectives and in their approaches to learning.

However, considering the ques-tion has caused me to reflect on what, if anything, is common to our students. The trait that comes to mind, as I consistently explained to families, was that our students all possess intellectual curiosity.

While I share this insight through a St. Clement’s lens, I would suggest that intellectual curi-osity is fundamental to ensuring that all students are able to learn and grow, regardless of their school or education.

There is much to be said for the need to recalibrate our education to ensure that we have updated tools and spaces, and dynamic approach-es to education, but when I read about the people who have made, or are making, an impact in our world, and when I witness students and staff achieving success in their learning, it highlights clearly that it is the presence of intellectual curiosity — and the nurturing of it — that drives meaningful learning and prepares student for the future.

To learn, we need to have a desire to inquire. It’s intellectual curiosity that drives us to ask questions and to seek answers. It is curiosity that drives us to try new things, take risks and learn from our mistakes.

It is our responsibility as edu-cators to encourage this curiosity

— to ensure that learning incor-porates inquiry and creates time and space for discovery and that we, as educators, model intellectual curiosity.

As a Roman historian and biog-rapher Plutarch put it: “The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.”

As 21st century educators, using best practices and approaches to facilitate learning for our students, we must encourage, celebrate, and guide them to many moments of curiosity and risk-taking in their learning. This timeless approach will foster tremendous growth and sustainable learning, regardless of the shape of the future for which we are preparing them.

It will serve to kindle the fires in our learners.

Martha Perry is the principal of St. Clement’s School

Kindling the fireCuriosity is an important trait for academic success

PHOTO COurTESy CAlEy TAylOr

ST. CLEMENT’S SCHOOL principal Martha Perry.

WINTER 2013 Town Crier EDUCATION & CAMPS GUIDE 13

Scho

ol h

appe

ning

s

A year in picturesphoto courtesy bayview glen

WELCOME BACK: Bayview Glen families, staff, faculty and friends joined the Fall Fest 2012 organized by the school’s Parent Guild.

photo courtesy tMs

UN-TRASHING THE NEIGHBOURHOOD: Members of TMS’s Green Club took to the streets in October to help clean-up the area.

photo courtesy bayview glen

BIRD IS THE WORD: Bayview Glen students in grades 2 and 7 took part in a creative storytelling workshop in December.

photo courtesy tMs

SPARE A PENNY? TMS students collected change to help pro-vide fresh water to those around the world who don’t have it.

14 EDUCATION & CAMPS GUIDE Town Crier WINTER 2013

photo courtesy sunnybrook school

WELL DESERVED TREAT: Sunnybrook School students Grace, left, Callan and Stella enjoy popsicles after participating in their school’s Sept. 26 field day.

photo courtesy holy naMe of Mary college school

ON A MISSION: Girls from the Holy Name of Mary College School spent Dec. 6 in the community at various social service organizations as part of the school’s Day of Hope.

photo courtesy sunnybrook school

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US: Sunnybrook School celebrated its 60th anni-versary on Nov. 7. Just before cutting the cake the school’s director Irene Davy, centre, asked the assembled students which one would like the piece with the number six on it. Not surprisingly, figuring out which stu-dent received the coveted slice was no piece of cake.


photo courtesy appleby college

SHOWING OFF: Appleby College students performed evening of classic rock, pop, blues and some original compositions at this fall’s Appleby Rocks! concert.

photo courtesy appleby college

AWARD-WINNING TEAMWORK: This fall, 77 Appleby College students received the silver-level Duke of Edinburgh Award — which focuses on community service, fitness and experiencing the outdoors.

photo courtesy branksoMe hall

GOING GLOBAL: In October, Branksome Hall opened a new campus on Jeju Island, South Korea. The school currently has about 300 students, but enrolment is expected to climb to about 1,200 within a few years.

photo courtesy branksoMe hall

IF I ONLY HAD THE HEART: Branksome Hall staged the Wizard of Oz with a twist, replacing Dorothy with flyer Amelia Earhart, played by Alex McVittie, left. Joining her are Liza Hersh and Katie Mergelas.


photo courtesy children’s garden school

DEMOCRACY IN ACTION: Children’s Garden School’s Jake Rockandel casts his vote in the 2012–2013 student government election. Since public speaking is an important part of the curriculum, government is seen as a great way to teach it.

photo courtesy children’s garden nursery school

‘TIS THE SEASON: Students at Children’s Garden Nursery School had a giving tree outside each class and pupils were encouraged to bring in an unwrapped toy for under the tree.

photo courtesy children’s garden school

SELLING THEIR WARES: Members of the Principal’s Club at Children’s Garden School sold handmade items to raise funds for Children of Hope Uganda.

photo courtesy havergal college

SOLIDARITY: For Global Dignity Day, Havergal College Upper School students paint-ed and signed a poster in support of Pakistani student activist Malala Yousafzai, who was attacked by the Taliban for her women’s education campaign.



GOOD HARVEST: Havergal College’s junior school Harvest Festival collected School collected a total of 620 kilograms of non-perishable food items for the North York Harvest Food Bank.

photo courtesy Metro prep

FLEET OF FOOT: Metro Prep’s cross country had much to celebrate with 12-year-old Daniel Thompson earning his way to the podium finished second out of 140 runners in the under-14 age category.


INTERNATIONAL VISIT: Havergal College stu-dents traveled to India to participate in the Modern School’s Community Development and Leadership Summit.



GIRLS DAY OUT: Members of Metro Prep’s Connections Girls program spent a day at Horseshoe Valley working on team building and survival activities. Each team had to build a shelter, purify water and problem solve together.


MY MACHINE: Metro Prep student Michael Thorogood drives the robotic car he created and programmed as part of a group of students who get together and tinker with robotic cars and other devices. As they’ve become more familiar with how these little machines work, they’ve started trying to fix and improve them.

photo courtesy uts

SUMMIT TALKS: UTS was one of only six schools from Canada to par-ticipate in the UN Climate Change Conference: COP18 Under-18 National Virtual Conferencing and Summit. Students connected with each other via video to put together a white paper on behalf of the youth of Canada to be presented to a parliamentary group before being taken to the UN confer-ence in Qatar.


A directory of private and independent schools for students from preschool to grade 12

Whole Child. Whole Life. Whole World.

Founded in 1962, Bayview Glen is a co-educational, multicultural, university preparatory day school.

Our programmes are enhanced to offer our students from age two to university entrance a highly challenging academic, athletic and character-building educational experience.

Bayview Glen is committed to fostering a sense of community that includes students, parents, faculty and staff. The goal

of the programme is to develop the whole child by nurturing self-esteem, leadership, academic excellence and independence within a secure and supportive learning environment.

Each day at Bayview Glen is filled with new experiences, and opportunities are provided for both challenge and success.

Our academic and Advanced Placement programmes are balanced by a strong music and arts programme, languages,

physical education, Duke of Edinburgh Awards, outdoor adventuring, Round Square, community involvement, and co-curricular activities.

Please visit www.bayviewglen.ca for details.Our Public Open House dates for 2012-2013 are as follows:Sat., Oct. 27, 2012 @ 1:00-3:00PMWed., Nov. 21, 2012 @ 6:30-8:00PMSat., Feb. 2, 2013 @ 1:00-3:00PM

Central Montessori Schools: Help children reach their full potential

Central Montessori Schools (CMS) is a non-denominational, co-educational private school that offers a Montessori learning environment that enhances each child's unique learning style. The school operates in five convenient locations in Thornhill and Toronto.

Montessori education is internationally established as one of the most effective meth-ods to help children "learn how to learn", thus gaining independence and self-confidence.

During various stages of our Casa pro-gram, emphasis gradually shifts from basic motor skills and languages to development

of concentration, coordination, independence and sense of order. This leads the child to grasp writing, reading and mathematical con-cepts much more quickly. In our Elementary classrooms, we introduce hands-on material to assist in understanding concepts before they are committed to memory. Physical educa-tion, arts, French and various extra curricular activities help our students to achieve a holistic higher standard of education.

The schools follow a high quality, accred-ited Montessori curriculum, which helps each child to reach their full potential. The daily

activities promote the development of social skills, cognitive ability, self-esteem, emotional and spiritual growth, and a love for learning.

Central Montessori Schools is pleased to add a new Casa French Program at our Willowdale Campus. This program, for children 3-6 years of age is offered fully in French, taught by a certified Montessori teacher and follows the Montessori philosophy. The CMS Casa French class offers five half days (a.m./p.m.) of five full days.

For information please visit our website at www.cmschool.net.

Creating a love of learning!

In our original location since 1986, Children’s Garden Nursery School has been providing a vibrant, loving and nurturing envi-ronment where children are introduced to both academic and social life. The ultimate goal of the school is to enable young children to reach

their full potential in areas of independence, confidence, cooperation, respect and academic learning.

Bright and stimulating classrooms, small group ratios, exceptional teachers, specialty programs that include French (AIM Gesture

Program), Sportball, Music and Drama are just an example of what makes Children’s Garden Nursery School the perfect foundation for any toddler, nursery or kindergarten aged child.

Please contact us directly to set up an appointment for your personal tour.

Bayview Glen

Central Montessori Schools

Children’s Garden Nursery School

Find your perfect school


Your perfect school

Crescent School: A Unique Educational Experience for Boys

A school for boys since 1913, Crescent is committed to implementing the most current research into how boys learn. With this goal at the forefront of its educational vision, Crescent has just completed a state-of-the-art Middle School facility to accom-modate the needs of adolescent boys.

Crescent’s greatest strength is its facul-

ty, and in this new space, they will continue their exceptional work in open, light-filled collaborative learning spaces overlooking a magnificent ravine setting. Crescent fac-ulty consider teaching boys their profes-sion, and educating boys their responsibil-ity—combining a challenging academic programme with a superior array of co-cur-

ricular opportunities allowing each boy to find and develop his unique abilities.

The School’s core values of respect, responsibility, honesty and compassion guide the actions of all, enabling each stu-dent to progress from a boy of promise to an emerging man of character. For more information, visit www.crescentschool.org

Crescent School

Dedicated to developing the whole child

Looking for a new school? At Hudson, we offer a challenging, nurturing and rewarding learning environment that allows students to reach their maximum potential. We are a co-ed, multicultural day school from PK to university entrance.

Recognized for our excellence in delivering a balanced curriculum, our small class sizes and promise of a Total Personal Support system dedicated to developing the whole child - aca-

demically, socially, and emotionally – ensure that all students receive the kind of individual attention needed to develop their special skills, strengths and interests. Our dedicated and experienced faculty care deeply about our stu-dents and their education.

They share a true passion for teaching, participating in all aspects of school life as mentors, coaches and leaders.

Situated on a large, quiet, air-conditioned

campus in central Toronto, our modern facility features spacious classrooms, state-of-the-art computer and science labs, large gymnasium, music and fine arts rooms.

We also offer Advanced Placement courses in senior-level Math, English, Business and Science.

Our graduates leave us with a strong sense of character, dedication to community and leadership qualities.

Hudson College

Metro Prep Academy: A strong foundation for the future

Metropolitan Preparatory Academy offers semestered, co-ed Middle School (grades 7-8) and High School (grades 9-12) programs in the DVP and Eglinton area.

Walking through the hallways of Metro Prep, you’ll quickly notice that it’s not an “old-fashioned” private institution.

The academics are structured and chal-lenging, yet the environment is supportive and

nurturing. Faculty and administration doors are open, encouraging strong relationships with students and their families.

And, no uniforms are in sight, allowing young men and women to express their indi-viduality.

In this comfortable setting, Metro Prep’s students are taught to trust their instincts, to think both critically and creatively, ask ques-

tions, and seek the help they need to succeed. Extensive athletic and extracurricular opportu-nities foster the physical and social potential of each child.

For over 29 years, Metro Prep’s has been preparing children for the academics of univer-sity and the skills needed for life-long success. Preparation begins NOW!

Please visit www.metroprep.com.

30 Years of Challenging Young Minds

Crestwood School practises the tra-ditional art of teaching by challenging young minds to learn and by structuring experiences that make learning pos-sible. The school’s philosophy is based on tried-and-true methods of teach-ing the basics, thus providing students with a solid foundation in the three Rs. Homework and development of stu-

dents’ organizational skills and good work/study habits are an integral part of the program.

At the same time, Crestwood School is concerned with the “whole child” — striving to maintain the balance of a child’s physical, social and emotional development. Each teacher is the key. With a well-planned program, a positive

rapport with each and every student, and a sense of commitment and dedication, Crestwood School’s goals are met!

Crestwood is located in the beautiful wooded valley at Bayview Avenue and Lawrence Avenue.

For more informat ion p lease cal l us at 416-444-5858 or visi t www.crestwood.on.ca

Crestwood School

Metropolitan Preparatory Academy


Celebrating 60 years

As parents, you want nothing but the best start in life for your children. As educators, we share that goal. Educationally, the best start means finding the right school, one that offers a nurturing environment, fosters children’s natural curiosity, and allows them to explore their world. A school that challenges them as

they learn and grow.For those first crucial eight years of your

child’s education, that school is Sunnybrook. Sunnybrook is a co-ed, inquiry-based

school that provides all of the strengths of the International Baccalaureate PYP program as well as enriched Math, French and Arts

programs. It is a small, nurturing school with a rich, 60-year history of offering the best elementary education Toronto has to offer.

If you want to instil the will to learn, the courage to act and the confidence to succeed in your child, consider Sunnybrook – the small school that delivers big results.

Nuture your child’s love of learning.

Montcrest School is a co-educational, ele-mentary day school, overlooking Riverdale Park in the Broadview and Danforth area of Toronto.

The challenging core curriculum is taught in a structured and nurturing environment. Students receive individual attention and excel-lent instruction in small class sizes. The arts are an integral element of the curriculum. Students benefit from the teaching expertise

and enthusiasm of specialists in art, drama, music, French, physical education and technol-ogy.

A dedicated faculty provides a caring envi-ronment that is conducive to a child’s growth and instills a love of learning by stimulating individual interests and imagination.

Students participate in a wide variety of co-curricular sports and clubs. Exposure to cultural

activities both within and outside the school community enrich the students’ experience. Emphasis is placed on leadership, character education and community service.

Small classes for children with learning dis-abilities are offered from Grades 2 to 8.

For more in format ion p lease ca l l 416-469-2008 ext 224 or visit us at www.montcrest.on.ca.

Montcrest School

Sunnybrook School

Your perfect school

A bilingual education and IB respected around the world.

TFS is bilingual, co-educational and delivers an enriched curriculum with an international perspective. Accredited since 1990 by the International Baccalaureate Organization, TFS offers programs leading to the IB diploma and unique IB bilingual diploma. Also a Primary Years Program (PYP) and Middle Years Program (MYP) candidate school, TFS is one of the few

full spectrum IB schools in the GTA. We are also accredited by the Ministry of Education of Ontario and the French Ministry of Education.

Our supportive learning environment focuses on the individual student.

Students require no prior knowledge of French up to and including Grade 7. Our Introductory Program is very successful at

integrating students with no background in French.

Our strong co-curricular program includes recreational and competitive sports, music, visual and dramatic arts. For more information, please contact Susan Markle at 416-484-6533 x 4247, email [email protected] or visit us at www.tfs.ca. Toronto and Mississauga campuses.

TFS - Canada’s International School

The Dunblaine School is a small independent school offering a curriculum designed to motivate and meet the needs of elementary school children with learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, as well as speech and language difficulties. Through individualized programs and a low

student-to-teacher ratio, The Dunblaine School helps students realize their full potential.Direct Instruction methodology, individual tutorials, music, social skills and other professional services are emphasized features of our program.

We are accepting applications for the

2013-2014 school year. Please join us for our Open House on Feb. 21, 2013, and April 18, 2013 from 9:30am - 11:30am or 5:00pm - 7:00pm.

For more information, please contact the school at 416-483-9215 or

visit us at www.dunblaineschool.com

Focus on learning disabilities at Dunblaine School

The Dunblaine School


Your perfect school

Middle School Drop-in January 25th. www.waldorfacademy.org Childcare to Grade 8

Young adolescents need their learning experience to make sense, to be authen-tic, to be exciting and challenging, to lead them towards accomplishing something real, to answer the question, “Why am I learning this?” Our Middle School cur-riculum is designed to meet the adoles-cent’s highly charged emotions, burgeon-ing intellect and developing capacity for

logical thought. Waldorf Academy offers a multi-disci-

plinary classical education enlivened by the arts, music and a challenging outdoor education. The city is used as an exten-sion of the classroom; students read, In The Skin of the Lion, under the Bloor Viaduct, attend plays at Soulpepper or the Canadian Opera, order dumplings

in Mandarin in Chinatown and plant trees and maintain paths in parks and ravines. Our teachers are dedicated to understanding their unique gifts, chal-lenging them beyond their comfort zones and preparing them for High School and beyond.

For information please call 416-962-6447 ext. 225 or visit: waldorfacademy.org

Waldorf Academy

Experienced faculty engages minds at Toronto Prep

The Toronto Prep School is a new, indepen-dent, co-educational, university preparatory, day school for discerning students and parents. We are dedicated to creating an academic and social environment designed to prepare stu-dents not just for admission to university, but for success - both in the post-secondary arena and in later life.Toronto Prep is built upon the

belief that a talented, experienced, dedicated, passionate, and well-prepared teaching staff is one of the most important ingredients for stu-dents’ success in school. Teachers’ knowledge and skill make a crucial difference in what stu-dents learn and how well they are prepared for the rigours of post-secondary school education.

We are committed to engaging each one

of our students and will provide them with the best learning environment. Let us help your child achieve and maintain academic success.

Consider our program if you are interested in an academically rigorous and structured environment dedicated to challenging and nur-turing your child. Contact us at 416.545.1020 or [email protected]

Toronto Prep School

Where girls find their voice

Since 1993, The Linden School has inspired girls to develop confidence in them-selves through innovative teaching methods, empowering experiences, and meaningful con-nections to their peers and their community.

Our evidence-based approach to teaching is girl-centred, incorporating the most current research about how girls learn best at every

age and stage of development. Linden’s small classes allow our teachers to embrace the individual learning style of each student.

The strong relationships Linden girls devel-op with their teachers and peers generate a strong sense of belonging throughout the school community.

These connections stimulate our students

to take ownership of their education and to believe in their ability to impact the world around them. When a girl finds her voice at Linden, she knows it can make a meaningful difference.

To discover if Linden is the right fit for your daughter, visit www.lindenschool.ca or call us at 416-966-4406.

The Linden School

The Sterling Hall School. You’ve come to the right place.

At The Sterling Hall School we genuinely care for your boy. We have the lowest stu-dent to teacher ratio of any boy’s school in Toronto, with specialists on-hand in art, physical education, science and technol-ogy. Your son will receive the individualized attention he deserves in a small class setting where his voice will not just be heard, but

recognized. The Sterling Hall School is home to excel-

lent academics, leadership opportunities and a stimulating array of extracurricular activi-ties – all designed to create students who become today’s critical thinkers and tomor-row’s innovative leaders.

Our dynamic, accessible teachers are

extraordinary mentors, truly committed to our guiding principle of providing an environment that nurtures your boy’s mind and spirit.

Founded in 1987, the school now has an enrollment of 310 boys. For further informa-tion, contact Claire Reed at 416.785-3410 ext. 238, email [email protected] or visit us at www.sterlinghall.com.

The Sterling Hall School


Open HOuse scHedule

for Private & indePendent SchoolSSCHOOL DATE TIME CONTACTINFO SCHOOL DATE TIME CONTACTINFO

BayviewGlen sat., feb.2, 2013 1:00pm - 3:00pm 416-443-1030 www.bayviewglen.ca

CentralMontessoriSchools Thurs.atall5locations 9:00am - 11:30am 416-250-1022 www.cmsschool.net 1:00pm - 3:30pm

Children'sGardenNurserySchool fri., feb.8, 2013 5:00pm - 7:00pm 416-488-4298 www.childrensgarden.ca

CrescentSchool please call for information 416-449-2556 www.crescentschool.org

CrestwoodSchool tues., Jan. 29, 2013 9:30am - 11:30am 416-444-5858www.crestwood.on.ca wed., feb. 20, 2013 9:30am - 11:30am wed., apr. 17, 2013 9:30am - 11:30am Mon., May. 13, 2013 9:30am - 11:30am

HudsonCollege sat., feb. 9, 2013 12:00noon - 4:00pm 416-631-0082 www.hudsoncollege.ca sat., feb. 23, 2013 12:00noon - 4:00pm

MetropolitanPreparatoryAcademy thurs., apr. 25, 2013 3:00pm - 8:00pm 416-285-0870 www.metroprep.com thurs., May 30, 2013 6:00pm - 8:00pm

MontcrestSchool fri.. Jan. 18, 2013 9:30am -11:30am 416-469-2008 www.montcrest.on.ca

OurKids Camp Expo register online at www.campexpo.ca www.ourkids.net Toronto sun., feb. 24, 2013 12:00noon - 4:00pm

SunnybrookSchool thurs., feb. 7, 2013 1:30pm - 3:00pm 416-487-5308www.sunnybrookschool.ca wed., apr. 10, 2013 1:30pm - 3:00pm

TFS Age2-Grade1 416-484-6533Canada’sInternationalSchool wed., Jan. 16, 2013 9:30am - 11:30am ext. 4247 www.tfs.ca JuniorSchool:(Grade2-Grade5) wed., Jan. 23, 2013 9:30am - 11:30am SeniorSchool:(Grades6-Grade12) wed., Jan. 30, 2013 9:30am - 11:30am

TheDunblaineSchool thurs., feb. 21, 2013 9:30am - 11:30am 416-483-9215 www.dunblaineschool.com 5:00pm - 7:00pm thurs., apr. 18, 2013 9:30am - 11:30am 5:00pm - 7:00pm

TheLindenSchool fri., feb. 15, 2013 9:00am - 12:00noon 416-966-4406 www.lindenschool.ca

TheSterlingHallSchool please call for a tour 416-785-3410www.sterlinghall.com

TorontoPrepSchool sat., feb. 23, 2013 11:00am - 2:00pm 416-545-1020 www.torontoprepschool.com sat., apr. 20, 2013 11:00am - 2:00pm

WaldorfAcademy Middle school drop-in 10:00am - 11:30am 416-962-6447 ext225www.waldorfacademy.org fri., Jan. 25, 2013


insi

ght f

rom

edu

cato

rs

ByKArrIEWEINSTOCK

While touring the new campus of Branksome Hall Asia, on Jeju Island, South Korea, in late October, I noticed the following message on a white board in a grade 3 classroom: Our goal is to be kind toward others … Use gentle voices. Consider the feelings of oth-ers. Treat people nicely. Be

helpful. Give compliments. Say your “pleases” and “thank yous.”

I found it fascinat-ing and com-forting, that 11,000 kilo-metres away, in Toronto, girls at Brank-some Hall Canada were

reflecting on the exact same issues as they prepared for Bullying Awareness Week.

During the week, our stu-dent peer supporters led an outstanding assembly and launched their “Stand Up” initiative, which encourages students to stand up against bullying and for what they believe in.

Our school social worker, Joelle Therriault, described how our school community

and parents can foster resil-iency and help students han-dle conflict and relationship challenges. She summarized how, in partnership with stu-dents, parents and the school can make headway:

• We do this by listening

— really listening — and val-idating what girls and young women are telling us about their relationships.

• We validate the totality of their relationship experi-ences — the pain, the joy, the discomfort, the tension, the laughter — and stand by ready to support them.

• We look at the behaviour that we role model.

• We avoid taking over in a situation. We convey that young people can get through challenging times and that we are available to provide proper support when neces-sary.

• We acknowledge that a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work. Young people are going to make mistakes, because they are in the pro-cess of building their conflict skills.

• We understand bullying to be a relationship prob-lem that requires relationship solutions.

• We are clear that, fol-lowing conflict and bullying,

Finding kindnessHow to foster a more

compassionate community

photo courtesy caley taylor

A GENTLE VOICE: Karrie Weinstock, deputy principal of Branksome Hall, says that students need to find ways to handle conflict and relationship challenges as parents work to foster resilience in their children.

the desired outcome involves repair and restoration.

Erica Brown, a scholar who studies the phenomenon of regret, notes that few of us have regrets involving money or position. Most of our regrets are connected to our relationships.

Kindness in our daily lives is the antidote to regret, and repair is the way to bring about healing when we do make mistakes.

Amelia Earhart, the intrepid pioneer of flight and the first woman to fly solo across the

Atlantic, said: “No kind action ever stops with itself. One kind action leads to another. The greatest work that kindness does to others, is that it makes them kind themselves.”

Kindness, integrated into who we are, and how we choose to behave, helps us be our best selves. When we feel strong, we are resilient in facing life’s chal-lenges. When we are resilient, we move forward positively.

Karrie Weinstock is deputy principal at Branksome Hall

we look at the behaviour we role model.


Tame the tiger Tonnes of camp ideas for March Break

• My special summer why writer spends her vacation volunteering at camp

KIDS CAMPS

AND ACTIVITIES

Photo Courtesy Pawsitively Pets


You can't change the wind...but you can adjust the sails.

Neurofeedback plus coaching in Learning Strategiescan provide a lasting improvement in learning.

Research results are available.

Director: Dr. Lynda M. Thompson (416) 488-2233Co-author with pediatrician Wm. Sears of The A.D.D. Book

www.addcentre.com

Three A+ students.

Which one has ADD?

Achieving below potential?•AttentionSpanisShort•Distractibility•DifficultyOrganizing& CompletingWork•Impulsivity•LearningDifficulties•Asperger’ssyndrome

www.fhfsc.caFor more information, contact us at

[email protected]

FOREST HILL

Learn to skate at any age!

• Quality skating programs taught by Skate Canada-certified coaches

• From pre-school to competitive

Register soonClasses commence in September

Figure Skating Club

416.481.7325

Week 1: Tuesday July 2 - Friday July 5, 2013Cost: $225.00

Week 2: Monday July 8 - Friday July 12, 2013Cost: $275.00

9:00 am - 3:00 pm

Northern Secondary School851 Mount Pleasant Rd.

Boys & Girls 8 - 15Register online at www.barkerbasketball.ca

or call [email protected]

Gerry Barker’sNorth Toronto Basketball Camp

416-425-6062

Gift

of fu

n

By hilary DaviDson

I started volunteering for Camp Oochigeas or “Ooch”, as a counsellor, the summer of 2011, after hearing about its magical and positive environment from a friend. I was eager to spend my two-week vacation in the Muskokas at the residential camp with a dynamic group of volunteers and enthusiastic campers.

Let me tell you, my experience at Ooch was nothing short of incred-ible.

Ooch is a privately funded, volunteer-based organization that pro-vides kids with cancer, and kids affected by childhood cancer, a chance to experience camp. It provides a unique opportunity for growth through challenging, fun and enriching experiences. Enjoying the outdoors and having fun are two integral parts of being a child and every child deserves to experience the wonder of camp. Activities like canoeing, archery, swim-ming and waterskiing allow children with cancer to challenge themselves in a safe environment and get back to what they need most — the chance to just be kids.

During the eight weeks of residential camp, Ooch will see nearly 800 campers between the ages of 6–19 and 320 volunteer counselors. There is also team of volunteer oncologists and nurses from Sick Kids Med Shed Team, so the children who need it can receive treatment at camp.

Volunteering very rewarding

Touching lives at camp


find the best March break and suMMer caMpfor your kids and teens.

Why should you attend? February 24, 201312:00 - 4:00 PM

roy thoMson hall toronto

In addition to summer residential camp, it pro-vides year-round programs for children and families affected by childhood cancer at Sick Kids at Ooch Downtown, their urban camp facility.

Ooch provides a safe place for children, to just be themselves. They’re challenged to learn new skills, and try new activities. All victories are celebrated, whether it be climbing to the top of the rock wall, or getting in a canoe. The campers’ determination and courage inspire me to try new things, and over-come my fears. It is so encouraging to see campers cheering on their new friends as they tackle a new goal. Everyday after lunch, there is a time where the campers are able to stand up in front of the whole camp and give a friend a Step in the Right Direction who has met their goal, helped them with their goal or for just being a good friend. I loved seeing the children leave the camp, with more self-esteem and confidence. They had conquered so much by coming to camp, and they knew it.

I am so proud to be apart of such a passionate community of volunteers and staff that are so enthu-siastic about bringing fun to these children. Camp-ers, their families and the Ooch staff are always so appreciative of all our efforts, as volunteers. There is always a big smile or hug awaiting me when I walk in the door at Ooch.

Photo courtesy camP ooch

YES, IT IS AS FUN AS IT LOOKS: Every summer hundreds of volunteer counsellors head north to Camp Ooch to give kids dealing with cancer a chance to experience the wonders of camp.

ooch provides kids with cancer and kids affected by

childhood cancer a chance to experience camp.

Touching lives at camp


Twen

ty th

ings

to d

o

By Paula sanDerson

With the holidays over and done with, the count-down to March Break has begun. To keep the kids busy, happy and out of the house it’s time to find the best spring break camp for your kids. There are countless options so here are a few ideas for many different types of kids.

For the Kid who does it all

Zodiac’s March Break camp is a classic try everything camp. From science to sports and everything in between, this camp has it all. Located at the Toronto French School, this camp offers two weeks of camp for both the public and private school student.

Located at Mooredale House in the heart of Rosedale, Mooredale’s March Break camp has been running for over 30 years. Each day has a different theme and campers get to try all sorts of activities including cooking classes, arts and crafts and sports.

For the artistic camper

Why not send your budding Tina Fey’s and Mike Myers’ to The Second City’s March Break improv camps. These sessions cater to students from grades 2 to 12. They’ll learn how to think on their feet, work as a team and say “yes” to everything. At the end of their week at camp, campers will put on a show for friends and family at the John Candy Box Theatre.

Young People’s Theater offers drama-based March Break camps at their Front Street the-atre. The camp is offered to students enrolled

in JK through grade 6.

For the fine artist, Avenue Road Art School’s March Break programs will see campers paint-ing, drawing and cartooning. After a week at this camp your fridge will never look better.

If they think they can dance or if they want to learn how to dance, send them to Conserva-tory of Dance and Music March Break camp.

Campers will dance their way through the week learning all sorts of different dance styles including ballet and jazz.

For the cultured child

Head over to the Art Gallery of Ontario for a week of exciting art projects. Not only will you leave with priceless art projects — they even have pizza lunch Fridays.

The Royal Ontario Museum offers program-ming for all ages and all different interests. Check out the Dungeons and Dragons camp where you can lean about monsters, weap-ons and legends. The half-day Critter Craft camp for 5-year-olds will have little campers exploring the animals at the ROM. For older campers there is a Museum 101 camp where campers can learn how the museum runs.

The Ontario Science Centre offers a camp for the young scientist in your family. Camp-ers will get to check out the exhibits like Kids Park before the Science Centre opens to the public, then all afternoon campers will get to see different demos and try different science experiments. This year the camp is pirate themed.

March madnessIt’s never too early to look for spring break activities

Photo courtesy avenue road art school

PAINT ME A PICTURE: For the artistically inclined, there are several March break camp opportuni-ties for your child to both hone their skills and have fun.


Harbourfront Centre camps are full of cultural exploration. With camps for everyone from arts camps to cooking camps and even a circus camp, there’ll likely be something to tickle your child’s fancy.

For the Sporty Kid

The University of Toronto March Break camps are great for the active kid in your family. From golf camp to gymnastics camp, there is a sport for everyone. For the lover of all sports, there is even a multi-sport camp.

Lace up your sneakers and head over to the Ontario Racquet Club for a variety of March Break camps. Par-ticipants can choose between tennis, fitness and squash camps. And you do not have to be a member of the club to join in on the fun.

At Sunnybrook Stables, March Break is all about horses. Campers will ride twice a day and learn how to care for both the horses and stable.

At Power Soccer your little David Beckhams and Christie Sinclairs will learn to love the beautiful game at this one-week, soccer-intensive camp. Campers will be divided based on age and ability and will improve their ball control, passing, dribbling, defending and shooting skills. Goalkeeping spe-cific camps are also available.

For the kid who wants something outside of the box

If you want to come back from the Break with a new wardrobe, Sew Be it Girl is the place to start. Their March Break camp will have partici-pants sewing up a storm to create their own designs. From dresses to boxers, they’ll help turn your fashionista into a one-of-a-kind designer.

For the skater boy or girl in the family, Roarockit is the place to spend March Break. At campers actually make their own skateboard. They use Canadian Maple and help campers carve and design their own board.

Animals lovers of all shapes and sizes head to Pawsitively Pets in Leaside for a critter filled week of excitement. Learn how to care for animals ranging from pocket pets, dogs, and reptiles to birds, bugs and other exotic animals. For the older kids, Pawsitively Pets runs a Safari Camp where campers learn how to care for zoo animals at a private zoo.

Want to learn French but don’t want to go to France? Send your kids Alliance Francaise de Toronto March Break camp where students learn French in an immersion envi-

ronment. Offered at four different locations, each camp takes on a dif-ferent theme.

At the Toronto Botanical Garden, campers have a lot of different options to embrace their inner green thumbs. Each day camp takes on a different theme. They’ll become Super Chefs and make their own ice cream, take part in Grossology and dissect owl pellets and use their skills by planting their very own take-home garden.

Evergreen’s Locavore Chef camp will see kids growing, harvesting, cooking, preserving and eating fresh, healthy, local food. Activities will happen at the Brick Works, but one day will be spent on an organic farm.

250 Davisville Ave Outreach Program: (at Mt. Pleasant) Bishop Strachan School

416-972-1316 416-483-4325Intensive pre-professional & recreational

classes for ages 18 mos to adult

www.interplay-dance.caKaren Davies Thomas, Director

Cecchetti Ballet (Fellow), A.I.S.T.D. (National), A.I.S.T.D. (Modern)

Teacher’s Training Program

Two downtown Toronto locations:

ballet (Cecchetti & RAD)pointe & classical repertoirecontemporaryjazz, hip hop, tap, acro musical theatre, lyricaldance company daytime children & adult programs

INTERPLAY

Call or visit our website for information

Photo courtesy avenue road art school

LOOK WHAT I MADE: An Avenue Road Art School camper shows off the mari-onette she made.

Photo courtesy Pawsitively Pets

CRITTER CAMP: For kids who love animals Pawsitively Pets would be hands-on fun.


ADD Centre

Forest Hill Figure Skating Club programs

It’s never too early – or too late – to learn to skate! Forest Hill Figure Skating Club, located at Forest Hill Memorial Arena (340 Chaplin Crescent, two blocks north of Eglinton) offers an array of group and private lessons taught by a team of enthusiastic and skilled Skate Canada Certified Coaches.

Programs include Preschool and Mini-tot (age 2 and up), Start-Right, Hockey Skills, CanSkate, Junior Development, Double Digit (age 10-16), Intermediate, Advanced and Adult Learn-to-Skate programs. Register now for the upcoming season sessions. We also run half-day skating camps for all ages

and abilities during Christmas, March Break and Passover holidays.

Come skate with us! Earn badges and ribbons and have fun! For more information or to download registration forms, visit our website at www.fhfsc.ca or pick up a registration form at the arena.

Forest Hill Figure Skating Club

Qualified instructor makes camp even more fun

The Gerry Barker North Toronto Basketball Camp has been in existence for the past ten years. Our camp philosophy stresses equal participation for campers, skill development, and a positive atmosphere and above all make it fun. A typical day’s schedule includes a skill session, a guest instructor, two games, and 3 on 3, 1 on 1 games and shooting competitions.

Gerry is proud to welcome on board this year as a co-director his son Brad Barker. Brad has coached in the NTBA for the past five years

and is the site co-ordinator at Northern S.S. for the NTBA House league during the winter. Brad brings enthousiasm and a love of teach-ing to the camp.

This year the camp will be held at Northern Secondary School and the permits have been confirmed for the summer. The camp runs for 2 weeks July 2 - July 5 and July 8 - 12 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Campers can come for one or two. Gerry Barker has been involved in Basketball for over 40 years, as a player and

a coach at all levels including university, high school and community. He was co-founder of the North Toronto Basketball Association and is still an active member of the association as coach and Director. This program involves over 800 boys and girls during the winter. Basketball is a great passion for Gerry and the opportunity to share that passion with young boys and girls is the driving force behind the camp. You can register online at www.barkerbasketball.com or please call 416-690-4587.

Gerry Barker’snorth toronto

Basketball Camp

New Year’s Resolution: Improve brain function

by Lynda Thompson, Ph.D., C.Psych.Perhaps your child’s fall report card was

not all you hoped for and you want him or her to do better in 2013. If one factor contributing to underachievement was difficulty with pay-ing attention consistently, then training can be done to improve that skill. Just like you go to the gym to build up muscles, you can exer-cise the brain a couple of times a week and

strengthen the neural pathways that are acti-vated when a person practices a calm, yet alert, mental state. This learning technique, called neurofeedback, involves a brain-com-puter interface that lets a person know instant-ly if their brainwave pattern (EEG) indicates calm focus or drifting attention. Research stud-ies going back to 1976 have documented last-ing improvements in behaviour and learning in

children with ADD/ADHD. Increasingly, these techniques are being used to give athletes and executives the mental edge, too.

To add to your child’s skill in paying atten-tion, whether he has a diagnosis or even if he is just an energetic kid or a bright daydreamer, contact The ADD Centre at 416 488-2233. see www.addcentre.com for more information.

Barker Basketball Camps

Camps and After School Activities


Power Soccer School – advanced technique training

Power Soccer provides a comprehen-sive range of training programs from the beginner to the elite player.

We emphasize fair play, skill develop-ment and the maximization of each child’s potential. Our programs are presented through a creative age appropriate soccer training model.

We focus on giving players the oppor-tunity to express their individuality while

providing clear feedback on how improve-ments in their game can be made.

Clinics and camps focus on ball con-trol, movement with and without the ball, dribbling, shooting, defending and accu-rate passing.

Players experience soccer sessions which are rewarding and enjoyable. Pow-er Soccer coaches conduct challenging sessions which provide an opportunity for

full participation for each player. We build player confidence through a program in-cludes lots of game play.

Improved ability level and a marked increase in game enjoyment are the re-sults of participation in Power Soccer programs. Please visit our web site at www.powersoccer.ca or cal l us at 416.425.6062 (local call) to learn more about the Power Soccer School.

Is your child crazy for animals?

Then Pawsitively Pets is the perfect camp for you! At Pawsitively Pets we understand a child’s love of animals and create an environ-ment that provides an interactive and edu-cational hands-on experience for children to explore pets and animals, build self-confi-dence and develop an understanding of all different types of animals. Camp programs

are available for kids from 3 to 15 years old. Programs are developed based on age and learning level. Kids 10+ can take part in a variety of our specialty programs including Animal Care Camp, Junior Dog Trainer & Mini Vet Camp. Campers 3 to 9 years old can take part in our animal education camp where they can spend everyday working hands-on with

a variety of different animals ranging from pocket pets, reptiles, birds and exotic ani-mals. Camps are available over March Break, Passover, PA Days, Summer Break and Winter Break. After-school, pre-school programs and birthday parties are available all year round. For more information please visit our website at: www.PawsitivelyPetsKidsCamp.com

Find the right camp for your child at Canada’s largest Camp Expo!

Don’t miss your chance to meet with top March Break, Summer, and Holiday camps, as well as year-round programs, for kids and teens at Roy Thomson Hall on Sunday, February 24th, 2013 from 12:00PM to 4:00PM!

In support of the Kids In Camp char-ity (www.kidsincamp.com), the Our Kids Camp Expo brings together families and camps for a

one-of-a-kind occasion.This is a fun and informative event for

anyone looking to save time and energy when searching for the best camps for their chil-dren. Take advantage of one-on-one conversa-tions with camp and program administrators, families and alumni to discover programs and activities not found anywhere else.

Families also have a chance to win $500 toward a session with an exhibiting camp!

Pre-register online for free admission valid for a family of four here: www.ourkids.net/campexpo/ (Regular walk-in admission is $20, which goes directly to supporting Kids in Camp).

Interplay School of Dance - Two downtown locations

The Interplay School of Dance, is under the direction of Karen Davies Thomas, locat-ed at 250 Davisville at Mt. Pleasant. Karen is a graduate of the National Ballet School and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Honours Degree from York University. Since its hum-ble beginnings in 1983 when Interplay first opened its doors, the school has grown to over 300 students and continues to focus on teaching classical ballet in Cecchetti and Royal Academy of Dance methods. Interplay offers recreational and intensive classes for-ages 3 to adult in Creative Movement, Ballet, Contemporary, Jazz, Lyrical Hip-Hop, Acro, Tap, and Musical Theatre.

Among its finest dance teachers are John Ottman, Director of the Quinte Ballet School, Bretonie Burchell, Faye Rauw, Lucie Ward, Martine Lusignan, Christina Neves Tughan and Erin Poole.

Interplay offers intensive dance training for talented students who wish to pursue a professional career in dance or perform with our in-house dance company and competi-tive team.

Because of the excellent dance training provided at Interplay, many of our students are accepted at Canada’s most prestigious schools such as the National Ballet School of Canada, Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, Alvin

Ailey School, Boston Ballet and many others. Our students are rewarded with high

school credits, university scholarships, dance teacher’s qualifications and profes-sional training.

Interplay also works in partnership with Bishop Strachan School, Branksome Hall, and Mooredale House to provide quality after-four dance programs.

Whether your child is the next prima bal-lerina or simply loves to dance, Interplay has a space for you.

If you would like more information on our school, please visit our website at

www.interplay-dance.ca

Interplay School of Dance

Our Kids Camp Expo

Pawsitively Pets

Power Soccer

Camps and After-School Activities


Other sports kept hockey hero sharp

Peop

le to

be

prou

d of

On Oct. 9, St. Clement’s Alexis Gallagher looked into a mirror to see herself without hair for the first time.

As a teacher at the top fundraising school for the CIBC Run for the Cure for the last eight years, Gallagher decided to donate her hair if the school met their goal of raising $40,000.

After the team, which included 183 students, staff, parents and alumnae, beat their goal by raising $44,766, helping St. Clement’s School to maintain their fundraising title, the time came for Gallagher to part ways with her bust-length locks.

To capture a video she could later show dur-ing a school assembly, she invited her videogra-pher and photographer best friend Tori Zimmer-man over to her apartment to film the shaving process and to help with the haircut.

“I thought I’d be more nervous but I was actually really excited and I didn’t know the camera was on for the first part and I was just sort of getting prepared for it and that’s when I started getting a little bit nervous,” Gallagher says. “Then it wasn’t until she actually held up part of the [cut off] hair that it started becoming a bit more real to me.”

As shown in the video, which has over 10,000 views to date on YouTube, the process was actually done in stages: first her hair was cut

off in three ponytails, then it was shaved with an electric razor and finally with a hand razor by her husband. As a result, she was able to donate 28 centimetres of hair for Wigs for Kids.

“My favourite part was probably when my husband just shaved it all the way down and just feeling it after and then looking at the mirror at the end,” she says. “I think a lot of people that see the video don’t realize that I haven’t been seeing myself for the whole time it’s not until the end that I actually look in the mirror and then I think the biggest thing that shocked me was how white my head was.”

In addition to supporting breast cancer research Gallagher, as a health and phys-ed teacher, was also trying to be a role model for students through the experience, she says.

“In terms of societal pressure on physical appearance and confidence and self esteem with body image and that sort of thing I talk a lot

about in my classes and that was sort of a sec-ondary kind of lesson I wanted to show, that no matter how you look from the outside you can just be confident in your appearance as well,” she says.

Gallagher, who admits she’d probably shave her head again for a good cause — although not likely in the near future — says the best part of the experience was the reactions it elicited.

“The support that I got from the students and the staff and just the families of the school and alumni who graduated and were sending me messages of support I didn’t really think it would be this big of a deal and get this much attention,” she says. “I think that was probably the greatest thing and just the awareness that I think it helps create.”

Gallagher’s hair had grown back to over half an inch at press time.

A visible gift

By lori Connor

Before she was winning Olympic hockey gold with Team Canada in Turin and Vancou-ver, Gillian Apps was learning the game at Havergal College.

Her brother, Syl, attended Upper Canada College and his example fuelled her decision as to what school to attend.

“When it was time for me to decide where I went to high school, I decided to choose the private school route, based on the great experience that he had,” Apps says. “When looking at all of the girls’ schools in the city, I think that Havergal just felt like the best fit for me.”

She soon began to make her mark on the athletics program, juggling soccer, bas-ketball, and hockey along with her classes.

“I feel like challenging myself in other areas of athletics made me a better all-around athlete, which in turn made me a better hockey player,” Apps says. “If I had strictly devoted myself just to hockey, I probably would be burned out by now.”

An aptitude for the game runs in her family. Her grandfather, Syl Apps, won three Stanley Cups and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Her father, Syl Jr., retired in 1980 as the Pittsburgh Penguins’ career leader in assists.

Apps seems destined to continue that legacy. By grade 10, she was a member of

Photos courtesy tori Zimmerman and alexis GallaGher

ALL IN: After her school raised $44,766 for the CIBC Run for the Cure, the most of any school in Canada, St. Clement’s teacher Alexis Gallagher shaved her head and donated her hair.

By ann ruPPenstein

Photo courtesy hockey canada imaGes

GOLDEN ALUMNA: Olympic gold medal-winning hockey player Gillian Apps chose to attend Havergal College for high school.


By Perry King

Sitting in on a girls’ volleyball game between the St. Clement’s Penguins and Appleby College Blue Dogs, you can see and hear how Wendy Girvan coaches.

“Good decisions, girls!” shouts Girvan, as she encourages her squad in the best-of-five contest. The match is a marathon, but Girvan isn’t con-frontational, she is even seen smiling throughout the game.

“When I was a player, I related very well to my coaches,” said Gir-van, who, after 31 years as a teacher and coach at St. Clement’s decided to retire at the end of this school year. “As a coach, I went back to what I valued the most in my coaches, and that was positive reinforcement all the time.”

Constructive feedback and sup-portive advice is Girvan’s mantra. When an Appleby player gets injured during the game, Girvan is consol-ing her, giving her advice on treat-ment. During timeouts, Girvan brings a quiet confidence to her feedback, and never raises her voice.

“I don’t take kids out when they make mistakes,” said Girvan, who coaches basketball and volleyball at the school. “I’ve talked to the kids ahead of time philosophically, so they

know, going into the game, how I coach.”

The all-girls school currently fields seven volleyball teams starting in grade 5.

It’s this approach, to players, and even to the culture of sports at St. Clement’s, which she has refined over her years as a teacher, and then as director of athletics.

“What sticks out to me is that the school, in 30 years, has maintained the philosophy that it had when I got here, that every kid plays,” says Girvan.

Girvan’s impact has been profound for generations of girls. Before becom-ing the principal of St. Clement’s Martha Perry was coached by Girvan when she attended as a student.

“She’ll be a big loss for our school,” Perry said. “She really believes strongly in our philosophy, having everybody at the table, and building skills as opposed to winning at all costs.”

While St. Clement’s is known for its academics, Perry says the school has a weak reputation for its athlet-ics.

“People sometimes misunderstand that our athletics and arts programs may not be as strong,” she says. “I

would argue that they’re as strong, and the belief is that girls are doing this because of the love of participa-tion. Coupled with that, they’re grow-ing and learning as athletes or artists.

“[The students] have a fierce pride, and they’re intensely competitive.”

Girvan, who became director of student life several years ago, has been broadening her imprint on the school beyond athletics, sharing her vast knowledge and encouraging the student body in a broader environ-ment. It’s a role Girvan treasures.

And with her retirement to come this June, the school will feel the loss, but the St. Clement’s commu-nity will be able to adjust, continuing

her legacy.“A lot of us have worked with her

for so long,” says current director of athletics Beth Will who came under Girvan’s tutelage during teacher’s college. “She really has shared so much with us that ... she’s leaving, but she’s still here in a way because all of her ideas are with us.

Girvan has been a sports guru for St. Clement’s, documenting every-thing about how to play the game well. It is that legacy that gives Will and the faculty much comfort.

“We’ll miss her, but I think she knows that, having trained us in what we do, we’ll continue on and do quite well,” Will says.

the Beatrice Aeros in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League. The next year, she was playing with Canada’s national team. An invitation

to the 2002 Olympic squad meant that she had to fast-track her final year of high school.

“It was a last-minute decision,” she says. “The way that my classes were set up, I was lucky enough to be able to graduate a year early. Havergal was extremely helpful.”

Although she didn’t make the team, Apps says she was happy with her deci-sion.

“The only way it affected my experience was essentially that I missed a year there,” she says.

She had been elected head girl for her final year, but had to forego the posi-tion to graduate early.

“I think at that time in my life I couldn’t turn down the opportunity that hockey was presenting me with,” Apps says. “The Havergal community was very supportive in allowing me to follow my athletic goals.”

Apps moved on to play at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, where she

was eventually named the team’s captain. Along with her gold medals in Turin in 2006 and Vancouver in 2010, Apps

has won gold in two International Ice Hockey Federation World Women’s Championships. She has also played in the annual Four Nations Cup since 2002, winning seven of them.

She now has her sights set on the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia.“We are training right now, in hopes of defending our gold medal at the

World Women’s Championships, which will happen in April 2013, and then at the Olympics in 2014,” Apps says. “We need to continue to work as a team to get better every single day.”

Since leaving Havergal, she’s returned to talk to students about her experi-ences.

“I am extremely grateful for my time at Havergal,” Apps says. “I feel like the staff and community there did a great job at preparing myself and my class-mates to head into the next phase of our lives with balance and confidence.

“I think the school does a great job at providing their students the platform and foundation to grow into confident and intelligent women.”

Other sports kept hockey hero sharp

Thanks coach

Perry kinG/town crier

PEP TALK: After 31 years as a teacher and coach at St. Clement’s School, Wendy Girvan is hanging up her whistle.


insi

ght f

rom

edu

cato

rs

The holidays have past, and our students have survived the latest barrage of advertisements targeted specifically to them. I’ve learned the importance of looking at how I can prepare my students to think critically about the flood of media messages they see and hear, each aggressively vying for their atten-tion. Just as we analyze books with our students, we must take the time to analyze media texts as well. Stu-dents need to practice putting on their “media glasses” in class to explore how companies make them want to buy their products.

Media literacy is a part of critical literacy — that is, actively ask-ing questions about what we are reading. Texts are not cre-ated neutral, and even innocent looking texts can raise some very interesting criti-cal questions.

Two years ago, a colleague of mine was given a book called Meet

Smurfette for her young daughter. In it, the first female Smurf is made by Gargamel to infiltrate the Smurf Village. The Smurfs are somewhat confused by this new creature, par-ticularly noting her odd choice of house colour (no surprise — it’s pink). Although the evil Smurfette tries to do Gargamel’s bidding, the Smurfs pay her no mind, as she is pushy, aggressive, and not particu-larly good-looking.

Upset, Smurfette goes onto Plan B — flood Smurf Village by break-ing the dam. She almost succeeds, but is swept away by the raging waters until Papa Smurf, who takes

pity on her, saves her. He “smurfs” up a potion that turns Smurfette into the blonde, high-heeled Smurfette that we all know, and now all of the male Smurfs are all smitten with her. I presume they then live happily ever after.

Many students assume that books have positive morals and messages. I’ve read this book to my students on a few occasions, and every time the supposed message is the same — it’s what is on the inside that counts. However, in this case, the book is actually claiming the exact opposite. The only thing that matters is what Smurfette looks like. Her change from evil to good is directly related to how she looks. How quickly these gender stereotypes are imparted to our children, and how easily they believe in the positive messages these characters are presumably giv-ing to them.

I tell this story because it is directly related to how companies advertise their toys to children. A quick browse through the Toys R Us website gives us a plethora of fasci-nating and imaginative toys — all of them separated into their respective sections. My boys noted that the boys’ section is all blue. It includes toys such as tools, action figures, and superhero costumes. The girls section of the website is pink, and includes toys that will help young girls prepare for a future in the kitchen and playing dress-up. The language used in advertising is also very telling. Take a look at the “girls toys” and see how often you see words such as “powerful” or “amaz-ing”. Come to think of it, that might make a very good class lesson.

There is more to critical media literacy than looking at gender-based stereotypes. We have all had the experience of waiting months for an amazing looking toy, only to find out that it did not perform nearly as well as it appeared to on television

or in print ads. For me, this experi-ence came with those electric race-tracks that propel the cars around a track. What is not shown is the amount of time spent stepping over the track to pick up the car that just derailed for the 11th time. Looking out for these tricks can become quite a fun classroom game, and once you put on your critical literacy media glasses, you can’t take them off. We begin to realize that no, chances are we won’t be playing with those dinosaur action figures in an actual jungle like the kids on television. That remote controlled racecar may look pretty cool going through that

rugged terrain, but will it look as exciting on the living room floor?

As media becomes more embed-ded in our culture, it becomes increasingly important that we teach our students not only to read texts, but to think critically about what the author wants us to think. This applies to written texts, but also applies to visual media.

Critical media literacy is an important part of my curriculum, and I hope my students will always wear their “glasses”.

Paul Lacey is a grade 2 teacher

at Children’s Garden School

What’s the message?

By Paul laCey

Photo courtesy children’s Garden school

THINK AS YOU READ: Teacher Paul Lacey says that children need to think critically when presented with any form of media to understand what is actually being taught to them.

Teaching kids it’s important to read between the lines

Many students assume that books have positive morals and messages.

PK TO GRADE 12 CO-ED SCHOOL

DEDICATED TO DEVELOPING THE WHOLE CHILD

Ce

l e b r a t i ng

1 0 y e a r s

Central Education Guide - Winter 2013

Documents

teaching students

spring break campswinter

education guide4

communities betterhelping

short break

wingold avenue

things program

exciting things