Mark it Newsletter · 2016. 3. 2. · Teacher: Mr. Daly Piano Recitals Piano Recitals are held in the Auditorium at 5:30 p.m. Please arrive in full dress uniform. March 1, 2016 -

The second half of the school year is now well under way. With the start of the new semester came an adjusted timetable which lengthened the lunch period, allowing for more activity in the gym midday and a chance for our high school students to ‘recharge’ for the afternoon.

We continue to be impressed by student leadership demonstrated at both the elementary and secondary levels, with students organizing intramurals, movie events, as well as coaching and mentoring younger students.

In addition to choral and academic accomplishments, our boys have earned distinction this month, bringing home pennants for Junior W5H, Junior Soccer and Intermediate Basketball.

The season of Lent is a time of preparation and anticipation. In addition to the choral rehearsals for various upcoming liturgical services, we prepare ourselves by reflecting on the virtues of contrition and forgiveness. The sacrament of Reconciliation, offered by the Cathedral to all of our boys on March 9th, is an opportunity to turn again towards the Lord in anticipation of the joy of Resurrection.

I hope that all of our students will have a safe and enjoyable week during the March Break. It will be a chance to rest up for what comes next. We know that the time after the March Break until the end of June, involving Holy Week, tour, studies, athletics and extracurricular activities, has a tendency to fly by!

As I write this message, fat flakes of snow are swirling past my office window, making Bond Street look as if it is encased in a snow globe. Despite the weather, I know that winter is drawing to a close, and we will soon be enjoying warm sun on the playground and looking for the first signs of life in the Eco Club’s raised flowerbeds.

Lent also began on a snowy, blustery note this year, as we gathered in the gym for Ash Wednesday Mass. My thanks to the staff, students and priests for their flexibility for what was a beautiful service despite the unusual setting. With the hope of spring comes the Easter season, and the boys are hard at work preparing for Holy Week services. The alumni are preparing for Tenebrae services all over Toronto, and I encourage you to view our Tenebrae list online, and consider attending a service here at the Cathedral or at one of the many parishes that will host alumni singing Msgr. Ronan’s Tenebrae Responsories.

Spring also means tour is approaching! A few weeks ago, I visited our hosts in Montreal and Ottawa and was pleased to hear that ticket sales for our concerts are already brisk. I look forward to seeing you all at the parents’ info night on Tuesday, March 8th at 7:00 pm.

At this busy time of year, I wish you and your families a restful March break, and the anticipated joy of the resurrection of Our Lord this Easter.

M A R C H 2 0 1 6

D A T E S T O R E M E M B E R

Mark it

02 March Late Start, 9:15am (High School Students)

05 March Auditions: Academic, 9am; Vocal, 12pm

07 March Career Night, Auditorium, 7pm

08 March Graduation Picture Retakes, Library

08 March Tour Info Night, Auditorium, 7pm

12 and 13 March No Choral Duties, St. Michael’s Cathedral Re-opens

14-18 March March Break

20 March Palm Sunday, 12pm

23 March Tenebrae, 7:30pm

24 March Holy Thursday, Sunday Sr. Choir, 5:30pm

25 March Good Friday, Saturday Sr. Choir, 3pm

26 March Easter Vigil, Sunday Sr. Choir, 9pm

26 March Easter Sunday, Saturday Sr. Choir, 12pm

31 March Late Start, 9:15am (High School Students)

Parent Council

04, 11, 24 March Lunch Program

04, 22, 31 March High School Ballroom Dancing, Auditorium, 3:30-5pm

Barry White, Principal

Stephen Handrigan,

Director

Swim Team 07 & 21 March, 4pm; 10 March, 6:50am, Ryerson; 31 March, Etobicoke Olympium, 10am

Eco-Club Tuesdays 12-12:30pm, Rm 411

Robotics Tuesdays 3:30pm, Rm 304

Yearbook Tuesdays 12-12:30pm, Computer Lab

Meetings & Practices

Newsletter

02 March Junior W5H City

Tournament

Tournaments

M A R C H 2 0 1 6

P A G E 3 C H O R A L N E W S

Montreal, Arnprior and Ottawa There are only a few weeks left until this year’s tour to Montreal, Arnprior, and Ottawa, and everything is falling into place. In Montreal, Arnprior and Ottawa, concert organizers are already selling tickets and getting ready to welcome the Junior and Senior Choirs to their parishes. This year we are lucky to have alumni Richard Fujarczak (’71) and Jeremy Broadhurst (’94) helping us with arrangements in Ottawa, and alumnus Frank Lofeodo (’72) working on our behalf in Montreal.

If you haven’t already done so, please take a moment to fill out a Buddy Request Form. This information helps us assign roommates for tour. Don’t forget that even if you don’t get your top choice of buddy, you’ll still be with your class during bus rides, visits to attractions, rehearsals, meals and concerts. Buddy Request Forms can be found online at www.smcs.on.ca/forms.

There will be a Parents’ Tour Info Night on Tuesday, March 8th at 7:00pm, and at that meeting, we’ll have detailed itineraries for you to take home. If you can’t make it to the meeting, the itinerary will be available to download from our website the next day. Some of the attractions we’ll be visiting include the Montreal Biodome, Canada’s Parliament Buildings, Rideau Hall, and the Canadian War Museum.

By Kate Rosser-Davies

Spring Tour 2016

M A R C H 2 0 1 6

Need a New

Choral Folder?

An order for new Senior Choir folders will be placed next week. If your folder is damaged, please order a new one by filling out this Choral Folder Order Form. Once you have filled out the form, you will receive an invoice by email. Orders must be prepaid, and each folder costs $41.

Jeremy Broadhurst with the PMO

PHOTO BY ADRIAN WYLD/CANADIAN PRESS VIA CTVNEWS.CA

Alumnus Jeremy Broadhurst (SMCS ’94) comes from a family rooted in Choir School tradition, with brother Laurence (’87) and now nephew Nicholas Wanstall (Grade 11). “Jeremy first became interested in politics while at the Choir School, when he served a term as a page at Queen’s Park,” says father Bill. Now serving as the Deputy Chief of Staff and Deputy Principal Secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office, Jeremy Broadhurst is highly respected for

his reputation as a hard worker and getting the job done. As former National Director of the Liberal Party, he played an instrumental role in the party’s majority government victory in last year’s elections.

He is an inspiration to the choir boys who have pol i t ical aspirations, and to those who are privileged to serve as pages at the Legislative Assembly.

Xavier Hollott-Lo (Grade 7) as a page.

COURTESY OF BILL BROADHURST

By Non Riola

P A G E 4 C H O R A L N E W S

M A R C H 2 0 1 6

Congratulations go out to the following boys (and their teachers) who received 1st class Honours or higher on their recent RCM instrumental exams this past January:

Jaemin Jeon, Grade 5

Piano IV, 85%

Teacher: Mrs. Morris

Xavier Hollott-Lo, Grade 7

Piano VI, 90% (with distinction)

Teacher: Mrs. Morris

Colin Fok, Grade 6

Piano VII, 89%

Teacher: Ms. Chan

Timothy Stocker, Grade 7

Piano VI, 86% Teacher: Mrs. Chevrier

Emilio Ortelli, Grade 10

Piano VII, 80% Teacher: Mrs. Krechkovsky

Brian Cheong – Grade 10

Piano VII, 81%

Teacher: Mrs. Morris

Nicholas Wanstall, Grade 11

Organ IX, 91% (with distinction)

Teacher: Mr. Daly

Piano Recitals Piano Recitals are held in the Auditorium at 5:30 p.m. Please arrive in full dress uniform. March 1, 2016 - Ms. Chan, Mr. Michalak, Mr. Pengelly

March 3, 2016 - Ms. Chevrier

March 8, 2016 - Mr. Belic

March 9, 2016 - Mr. Kekely

RCM Instrumental Exam Honours

Mark Li – Grade 6

Piano VIII Gold Award

Kiwanis

Festival

Another previously-loved piano has a new home, thanks to the SMCSAA and their Hand Me Down, Hand Me Sound program. Not long ago, the Duffey family received a century-old Heintzman upright, courtesy of Elaine Sterling, and with the assistance of Paul Townshend, Class of 1975. The Duffeys have had the piano refinished, restoring it to its original glory. Elliott Duffey, in Grade 4, has been practicing daily. Special thanks to Braymore Piano Movers and to piano tuner Fai Tse for their assistance with this move, and for their support of HMDHMS; and especially to Ed Leerdam, Class of 1976, whose hard work ensures the success of this program.

Hand Me Down,

Hand Me Sound

Elliott Duffey with Ed Leerdam (‘76)

Did You Know? Heintzman & Co. Ltd was founded right here in Toronto by German-born Theodore August Heintz-man in 1866. Monsignor Ronan owned an unusual piano made by Heintzman: a transposing upright built in 1904 in their King Street West factory—probably the same factory that produced the piano now at the Duffey home. Msgr. Ronan's transposing upright was restored some years ago through the efforts of the Choir School alumni, and is a piece of both Choir School and Toronto history.

Need to Update Your Information?

If you’ve moved, changed your email address or gotten a new phone number, you can now let us know online through the Parent Info Update Form, which available at your convenience. In order to ensure good records management, we

ask that you do not phone us or email the secretary

with updates. This form sends a notification to

both the Main Office and the Music Office, letting

them know you’ve updated your contact details.

P A G E 5

Chaplaincy and

Student

Leadership

by Andrew Hume

It’s been an odd winter thus far. The weather has been about as predictable as the lottery results. We’ve experienced May-like days followed by frigid January-type days. Snow, heat, frost, sun burn, rain, and winds have all been thrown at us without warning of what comes next. I suppose this season of unpredictability is a microcosm of life itself, which is steady, then bumpy, and then without warning, accelerates before putting on the brakes. Life can be bumpy, but it is far from dull. This is why the role of faith is so vital. There are times when faith is the only constant left for us to hold on to. When all else is uncertain—finances, friendships, job security, health—we’re left with one hope: The only hope we can cling to on some days is that when Jesus Christ promised that we would never be abandoned in our life, this promise came from not just man, but the Almighty God of the universe.

Junior W5H Regional Champions

S C H O O L N E W S

M A R C H 2 0 1 6

By A. Ferreira

Hello, SMCS community, this is the Junior W5H team telling you about our latest victories!

On Wednesday, February 17th, we competed at Holy Name and won the Preliminary round.

On February 24th, we competed at St. Vincent de Paul for the Regional round. We played against St. Anselm, the St. Anthony, and last, St. Vincent de Paul. Our final game was a close one, but guess what? We won every game and are still undefeated!

Our team members include myself (Logan Liut), Nicholas Mochocki, Justin Medeiros, Tommy Gillespie, Jon Bo Cahutay, Jadyn Tauro and Tomas Igreja.

On Wednesday, March 2nd, we’ll be representing SMCS at the City Finals as the South Region champions and as your SMCS Smartans!

Perfect Score at the Canadian Computing Competition

Tristan Gysling

By Logan Liut

PHOTO BY MS. BARTOLOME

The Canadian Computing Competition,

run through the University of Waterloo,

is a “fun challenge for students with an

interest in programming. The

competition provides students the

opportunity to test their ability in

designing, understanding, and

implementing algorithms.” (University

of Waterloo website)

On Friday, February 19th, Matthew

Mirvish (Grade 7), participated in the

junior competition and achieved a

perfect score!

A special thank you goes to Mr.

Morra and Ms. Merocchi for all of

their help. Congratulations, Matthew!

The Young Authors Program invites writers from across Ontario to submit their written pieces for a chance to be published. There are three levels of competition: School, Unit, and Provincial. Provincial winners will be announced in June, and those winning entries will be included in the 2016 Young Authors Anthology.

A big thank you and congratulations goes out to all of our young authors!

The submissions this year were fantastic, which made choosing a winner that much more difficult!

Our School Level winners are Grade 6 boys Tristan Gysling for his short story "Moon Walker," and Colin Fok for his poem "Noise". These entries will move forward to the next round of the competition.

Congratulations and best of luck to Tristan and Colin!

Young Authors School Level Winners By A. Ferreira

Colin Fok

Matthew Mirvish

We look forward to seeing our

parents and students from Grades 7

to 12 at our upcoming Career Fair.

It will held on Monday, March 7

from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. Several

SMCS Alumni from a variety of

industries will be available to meet

with students to discuss the many

aspects of their careers. An email

will be sent out with additional

information in the week to come.

By H. Suite

Career Fair

Senior Debate Team Takes Gold

P A G E 6 S C H O O L & S T U D E N T C O U N C I L

M A R C H 2 0 1 6

By Martin Halek

PHOTO BY P. MORRA

From the Secretary’s Desk

As we mark the start of the second semester, we pass the halfway mark of the school year. In February, we also

begin the season of Lent. On behalf of the Student Council, I would like to extend thanks to all who organized and sang at our Ash Wednesday Mass. Even though it was in the gym, we still made the most of it, and I’m sure that many of us are looking forward to returning to the Cathedral.

To mark Shrove Tuesday, we served free hot chocolate and doughnuts to the students: we heard no complaints!

With Easter and Tour on the horizon, we begin to prepare with extra rehearsals. I would like to extend my appreciation to all those who are so committed to the cause.

Sebastien Duckett

Student Council Secretary

On February 27th, Paul Picotte, Sebastien Duckett, Jacob Brozyna, Martin Halek and Amit Nehru attended the 1st Annual TCDSB High School Debating Competition, hosted by Loretto Abbey College. The resolution of the debate was: “be it resolved that climate change is mankind's defining crisis, and deserves a commensurate response.” The four represented the school in six different debates, arguing both pro and con, and after a long day of being strictly undefeated, took home first place.

Furthermore, Sebastien Duckett was awarded the personal title of Best Debater. Hopefully, this victory piques an interest in debating among other students. Good luck to next y e a r ' s t e a m — t he d e f e n d i n g champions.

Special thanks to Mr. Morra for organizing this venture, as well as to Julianne Rivard, Ms. O’Connell and Ms. Merocchi for volunteering to judge the debates.

I hope that everyone has been having a

successful new year! 2016 is a new year—a

new opportunity to move forward and create

positive change.

Unfortunately, there are two secondary

schools in the Kenora District that recently

burned to the ground. They are now

rebuilding, but they do not have books of any

sort. Furthermore, these are schools of

indigenous people, and as you may have

heard, there have been investigations proving

that these schools tend to be significantly

underfunded by the government.

Thankfully, the Toronto Secondary Unit

(TSU) has organized a drive to collect

textbooks and all other books that would be

appropriate for high school students and a

Book Drive for Northern Ontario

high school library. They have invited all

the schools in Toronto that they are

associated with to collect textbooks,

novels, and other books to send to these

two schools.

We will be joining this cause. If you have

books in good condition that you can

donate to this cause, please bring them in

between now and Thursday, March 10th.

House points will also be awarded, so for

all of these reasons, please give generously!

The contributions should be dropped off in

the corridor by the ramp outside the office;

they will be counted and stored afterwards.

We thank you in advance for your

generosity!

By Aloysius Wong, Social Justice Rep

We want to hear from you!

We welcome suggestions from students and parents on any and all council initiatives. Your student council looks forward to working in collaboration with all SMCS community partners this year. Please feel free to contact us at [email protected].

S C H O O L N E W S P A G E 7

M A R C H 2 0 1 6

Cooking Up a Storm Once More

Eco-Club Invites All to CN Tower Climb By Christian Sforza

Here is our recipe for brownie in a mug. It makes for a great after school treat and takes only minutes!

BROWNIE IN A MUG

Ingredients

· 2 tbsp butter

· 2 tbsp water

· 1 drop vanilla extract

· 1 dash salt

· 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

· 4 tbsp granulated sugar

· 4 tbsp plain flour

1. Add your butter to the mug. Pop this in the microwave for about 20 seconds until it has melted (time will vary depending on strength of your microwave).

2. Add water and drop of vanilla extract to butter and then mix.

3. Add a pinch of salt and stir in all your other ingredients one by one to make a nice batter. Make sure there are no lumps of dry ingredients.

4. Pop it in the microwave for 60-90 seconds (depends on strength of microwave).

5. Remove carefully, allow to cool for a few seconds, then enjoy!

After a hiatus last year, the Cooking Club for Grades 4-8 had some wonderful sessions in January and February. The classes filled up very quickly; we even had to schedule an extra class. On Cooking Club day, the students who signed up gathered with aprons (and clean hands!) and got to work. Reading recipes, measuring carefully, cutting things safely, and sometimes making creative choices as to what ingredients to include, resulted in some fantastic results. We made ham and cheese breadsticks, Hasselback apple crisps, meatloaf in bread cups, calzones, brownies in a mug—and

even ice cream in a bag! Every session ended with a great team clean-up and a nice chance to eat sit down and together.

Thank you to the teachers who helped out: Ms. Rosser-Davies, Ms. Dovigo and Ms. Thorne!

High School Cooking Club begins this month, with several dates planned to work on some more challenging projects.

By T. Dunn

PHOTOS BY SEBASTIEN DUCKETT

PHOTOS BY T. DUNN

Oh yes, it’s that time of year again! It’s time to prepare for the 26th annual CN Tower Climb. Start fundraising, training, and helping the endangered species of our planet. The Eco-Club is inviting all ages to come out on April 16th to support the WWF (World Wildlife Federation) and our Eco-Club. Please encourage the whole family to take part in this wonderful event. The day starts off early at the Rogers Centre, where we gather as an SMCS Cares Team. As the anticipation and nervousness builds, we head off to register and start preparing for the coming minutes of excitement. We head to the base of the CN Tower, hydrate with a glass of water, scan our time cards, and BAM—we’re off!

We are excited to welcome David Miller, CEO and President of WWF Canada. He has graciously accepted our invitation to visit the Choir School on March 30th at 2:30 pm.

Parents are cordially invited to attend this event.

The climb is exhilarating and lots of fun. Liam Bishop holds the SMCS record for climbing to the top in under 15 minutes. Let’s do it!

Once our climb is done, we head to Cora’s for a celebration breakfast! It is truly an amazing experience, and one that is well spent with family and friends.

Our youth team is called “SMCS Cares!”. Please join us.

If you would like to donate and pledge your support for our team, kindly visit our sponsorship page.

COURTESY OF WWF.COM COURTESY OF WWF.CA

David Miller

Coming to SMCS By F. LoCurto

PHOTO BY F. LOCURTO

Intermediate Basketball Take Divisionals

P A G E 8 A T H L E T I C S N E W S

M A R C H 2 0 1 6

By S. Rubacha

The team members are as follows:

Jonathan Adams

Julian Addesa

Daniel Avila

Lucas Ben

Vincent Gatchalian

Shayne Joseph

Viktor Lipinski

Scott MacDonald

Owen Phillipson

Ben Puskas

Stefan Riola

On February 11th, the SMCS High School Swim Team competed at the annual TCDSB High School Swim Meet at the Etobicoke Olympium pool. Although we are just a small team, we have big spirit. Timo Lahteenmaa-Swerdlyk, Erik Gillis and myself swam against tough competition with great effort and determination while having a lot of fun.

I would like to thank our swim coach, Mr. Woodger, and Erik’s dad, Mr. Gillis, for all their support and dedication.

HS Swim Team News By Austin Gumbs

Our Intermediate Basketball Team played their Divisional tournament on February 16th at Our Lady of Lourdes. Although the boys faced some tough competition, they managed to secure a first place victory and as a result, secured a championship pennant for the school, the first time since 1994 in this sport. On February 22nd, the same team attended the regional tournament and fought hard throughout their game. Unfortunately, they were eliminated by St. John XXIII.

As always, the team played with great spirit and talent. They demonstrated respectfulness both on and off the court as well as good sportsmanship.

Congratulations to a job well done.

Go Spartans!

Ski Day at Horsheshoe

Resort for Grades 4-8

PHOTOS BY M. DOVIGO PHOTOS BY R. TECSON

P A G E 9 P A R E N T C O U N C I L

The SMCS Ballroom Dance Lessons for the High School students began on Friday January 15th. With over 30 Participants from both the Choir School, and St. Joseph’s College, it has been a huge success. The students have already learned the Foxtrot, Merengue, and Salsa. We would like to thank alumnus Chris Downer

M A R C H 2 0 1 6

Spring Bake Sale The CSPC would like to hold a Spring Bake Sale in May, and is looking for parent volunteers to lead this initiative. If you are interested in volunteering for this, please contact us at [email protected].

The Spring Lunch Program began on February 5th and will run until June. We are in need of parent volunteers to help. If you are able to assist on some of the days, please contact [email protected].

Lunch Program

Important Dates: Lunch Program March 4, 11, 24 Ballroom Dance Lessons March 4, 22, 31

The CSPC is pleased to announce the sale of the new SMCS Decal. The cost of the decal is $2.50 each. They will be distributed in mid-March. Please see the order form on the following page. Thank you to Ms. Margani and Ms. Foreman for all their work on this initiative.

Car/Window Decals

for volunteering his time and leading the classes. Mr. Downer is a certified instructor, and began his dancing career as a student at St. Michael’s Choir. We would also like to thank Mr. Hume, for volunteering his time as the teacher supervisor. If your son would like to participate, contact CSPC at [email protected].

PHOTOS BY PINA POVOLO

The Spring Uniform Exchange took place on Friday, February 19th in the auditorium. If you requested the return of your clothing items, they are available for pick up until Friday March 4th

Ballroom Dancing Lessons

Spring Uniform Exchange in the Auditorium. A big thank you to all the parents and students who volunteered to make this one of the most successful Spring Uniform Exchange to date.

PHOTOS BY PINA POVOLO

PHOTOS BY PINA POVOLO

SMCS Decal Order Form

Student Name: _____________________________________ Grade: _______

Quantity Amount Total Cost

_______ x $2.50 ea = ________

Payable by cash or cheque.

Please make cheques payable to St. Michael’s Choir School.

Decals will be distributed the week of March 7th.

The car/window decal will be 4” round.

ST MICHAEL’S CHOIR SCHOOL

Keep in touch

Call: 416 393-5518 Academic Office

416 397-6367 Music Office

Email: [email protected]

[email protected]

Visit: www.smcs.on.ca

Get involved

Like us on Facebook:

www.facebook.com/stmichaelschoirschool

CSPC: [email protected]

Alumni: www.smcsaa.com

Tour Wear Circa 1989

MODEL: TARAS RAWLINSON

This new addition to the SMCS collection

was donated by Geoff Rawlinson, Class of

1991, who received it as a member of the

TB Choir when they visited Ann Arbor,

Michigan in 1989. It is modelled by

Geoff’s son, Taras, who is currently in

Grade 7. Thanks to the Rawlinson family

for this piece of Choir School

memorabilia!

DIRECTOR: Ms. Angela Gauthier Principal: Mr. Barry White Vice-Principal: Mr. Linton Soares Superintendent of Education: Director: Mr. Stephen Handrigan Mr. J. Shanahan (416) 222-8282 - Ex. 5371

TRUSTEES: 2015-2016

Wards

1. Joseph Martino

2. Ann Andrachuk

3. Sal Piccininni

4. Patrizia Bottoni

5. Maria Rizzo

6. Frank D’Amico—VICE-CHAIR

7. Michael Del Grande

8. Gary Tanuan

9. Jo-Ann Davis Trustee for St. Michael’s Choir School; [email protected]; www.jo-anndavis.ca

10. Barbara Poplawski

11. Angela Kennedy—CHAIR

12. Nancy Crawford

STUDENT TRUSTEES: Allison Gagacad and Karina Duprovskaya

PARTNERS IN EDUCATION

Jennifer Danahy - Co-Chair Angela Racco - Secretary Pina Povolo - Co-Chair Maxx-Phillippe Hollott - Treasurer

SMCS 2015-2016 CSPC REPRESENTATIVES

ARCHDIOCESE OF TORONTO

Chancellor: Thomas Cardinal Collins

St. Michael’s Choir School Advisory Board

Ms. Anne Bolger, friend Fr. Michael Busch, Rector, St. Michael's Cathedral Fr. Ivan Camillieri, Chancellor of Spiritual Affairs, Archdiocese of Toronto Fr. Brian Clough, Alumnus William Dunlop, Comptroller, Archdiocese of Toronto Dr. Joseph Gasser, Alumnus, Board Chair Kathryn Lagroix, past parent, Finance Chair Fr. Larry Leger, friend, Nominating Committee Chair James Milway, Chancellor of Temporal Affairs, Archdiocese of Toronto Ms. Patricia Parisi, friend, Governance Committee Chair Dr. Constance Price, Office of Formation for Discipleship Mr. Geoffrey Rawlinson, parent, Advancement Committee Chair Mr. Stephen Handrigan, ex-officio Mr. Barry White, ex-officio