MW Happenings || Spring 2014

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SECOND ISSUE || SPRING EDITION

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE Dear Parents & Guardians:

or more frequently, please call the school to confirm your email address or to add an email address.

Enclosed you will find your son or daughter’s second Provincial report card. Please take the time to review this report card with your child/children.

We would strongly encourage you to examine not only the mark but as importantly, please review the learning skills that are associated with each class.

These are excellent grounds for discussion with your child and with your child’s classroom teacher.

While we anticipate excellent report cards for all of our students, in the event that you or your child may be less than pleased, we strongly encourage your child to speak to their teacher and Teacher Advisor about avenues for success; ways to further develop specific skills, and ways in which students can seek additional support. There is time for remediation however, the time is now!

Mary Ward’s CSAC (Catholic School Advisory Council or parents’ council) are an active group of caring and concerned parents who seek ways to help all parents support their children’s education and enhancing the time their children spend in secondary school. Our CSAC group meets monthly - our next meeting is Wednesday April 23 at 7 p.m. in the Mary Ward Library. All are welcome!

Finally, our Grade 12 students – after 4 or 5 years of high school high school at Mary Ward, are finally reaching the culmination of their time here. They are busily completing units and courses in preparation for graduation and all that it entails.

Between now and June 26th there will be many late night working on units, assignments, essays, and preparation for tests. For grade 12 students there will also be the excitement surrounding prom and the graduation festivities. We wish all our graduating students success as they navigate their way towards graduation and we ask that our community keeps this particular group of students in your prayers.

As we continue through the Lenten season and approach Easter, may I wish you and your family a truly blessed and Holy Easter.

While we have officially begun the first day of spring, it hardly seems so as I look outside my office window. This has been a particularly hard winter for all of us and spring was never as welcome as it will be this year. Despite the cold, snow and freezing rain outside, inside at Mary Ward, life has been busy, energetic and full of wonder!

As I compose this note, I am struck by the speed at which this school year has passed.

Collectively, we have accomplished much. It is almost overwhelming when examining the calendar of events, to see how the teachers and students at Mary Ward are able to maximize each day and capitalize on all the opportunities that are afforded to them at this incredible school. Here is but a sample of the activities that your children have been involved in: MADD assembly, Mad Money assembly, Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test, Winter Activity Day, Specialist High Skills Major week, Our Kids Our Future week, Free the Children week, Health Action Week, H&PE Health Fair, Black History month, Gender Justice week, Stop the Stigma week, class trips, special presentations, athletic team competitions, practices and events of every kind. These are just a sample of the many activities and exciting events that take place during lunch, after school and in our classes day in and day out!

As a community of faith, our Easter season has begun, enabling us to prepare for the mystery of the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. As we continue to celebrate Easter, we are able to reflect on the significance of life and of God’s ongoing work through His people. Our Easter Liturgy of the Word will take place on April 24th.

We are fortunate to have an excellent Chaplaincy Team – Chaplains, Anne Marie Davies and Eric Demore, who – along with our student volunteers, are responsible for the planning, preparation, and delivery of this very important liturgical celebration.

On another note, increasingly this year, we have been using School Connects as a means of communicating home regarding various school matters. It is important that we have your correct email address at the Main Office for the School Principal, Mary Ward C.S.S. Connects email messages. If you have not haven’t Follow me on Twitter with Mary Ward updates been receiving these messages on a weekly basis @MWCSSPrincipal

Mrs. Andrea Magee

MONTHLY UPDATE FROM THE BOARD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . April 2014 Consultation on Admission Special Events to Note in April • Hispanic Heritage Month and Placement Policy • Autism Awareness Day April 2nd The Board approved the new draft Admissions and Placement Policy in principle for the purpose of public consultation at the February 27, 2014 meeting.

The Board is committed to working with community members throughout the process to ensure that their concerns and aspirations are consistently understood and considered in decision-making processes.

Parents, staff, students and other stakeholders will be encouraged to participate in the comprehensive consultation process, including invitations to a “Consultation in the Round” to be held at the catholic Education Centre in late April or early May. Check the board’s website or your school website for details coming soon. www.tcdsb.org

ParentConference:ParentsEngaged in 21st Century Learning

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Board-wide simultaneous choreographed line dance -- “We Are Stars” at 10:30 AM. Raising a flag for Autism Awareness at each school.

An evening event at the CEC focusing on “Life Beyond the Classroom Walls”. http://www.tcdsb.org/pages/world-autismawareness-day.aspx The City Park Clean-up – April 2nd to April 26th, 2014 (grades 1 to 8) http://www.tcdsb.org/ Board/environment/Pages/default.aspx ShareLife Week April 6-12 Volunteer Appreciation Week April 6-12 Earth Day -- April 22nd.

Administrative Assistants Day—April 23rd The City of Toronto’s - Clean Toronto Together, Friday April 25, 2014 Blessed Pope John Paul II Day April 28th

• Presented by Toronto Catholic Parent Involvement Committee and the Toronto Catholic District School For all these events, and more, visit the Board’s website at www.tcdsb.org Board April 8, 2014 5:00 - 9:00pm

Check out the changes to ourwebsite

Parents are encouraged to check out http://www.tcdsb.

St. Timothy Catholic School org/FORPARENTS/Pages/default.aspx for information http://www.tcdsb.org/forparents/news/pages/parentspecifically for parents. conference.aspx

The Ontario Association of Parents in Catholic Education A full day conference for parents and our partners in publicly funded Catholic Education in Ontario Saturday May 24, 2014 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM

“Parental Influence on student well being and Catholic Education” Co-hosted by the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board “ “Extraordinary lives start with a great Catholic Education”

Students are invited to take advantage of the resources posted on our website at http://www.tcdsb.org/ FORSTUDENTS/Pages/default.aspx

Follow TCDSB on Twitter Get all the latest news and information from the Board, including notifications of weather related cancellations and closures throughout the winter months by following @ TCDSB on Twitter.

If you prefer receiving regular news update via Email, For registration or more information, click here: subscribe to our digital E-News service https:// http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/ web1.tcdsb.org/InterestSubscription/subscription.

Senior Girls Volleyball

Congratulations to our Senior Girls Volleyball Team. The team made it all the way to the TDCAA, AAA, Senior Championship. They lost in the finals by a 3-1 score. This was one of the most exciting teams to watch this past season. The Team had a tremendous amount of talent and skill that thrilled all who watched all season long.

No doubt, this team was a force to be reckoned with as all opponents quickly found out. All those students and teachers who watched them perform were truly impressed by the skill and effort put out by all. The team will miss their graduating Seniors; Aibelle Babista, Janina Casalan, Janina Antioquia, Aubrea Lancita, Lia Pizarro, Regina Barona, Mari Abas and Team Captain Divya Mendonca.

Make sure you come out next season as the team will be a strong contender to return to the TDCAA Championship and strive to compete at OFSAA.

Mary Ward’s 5th Annual Health & Physical Education Fair

By Priscilla Ho Over the past few months, Mrs. Sersanti’s PSE4U students have been working extremely hard towards Mary Ward’s 5th Annual Health & Physical Education Fair each with a designated role. On Friday, February 7th we had special guests joining us from all across the city to share their health related professions. These included: The Toronto Public Health Nurse, Toronto EMS Primary Care Paramedic, Registered Massage Therapist, Nursing Student from U of T, Chiropractic Treating Interns, and a Nutrition & Health Specialist. We invited two Mary Ward Alumni to join us: Sarkis Hannaian who is currently studying Kinesiology & Physical Education at U of T as well as Christian Lumia who is currently studying Sport Administration & Sport Management at Durham College to talk about their experiences post Mary Ward. Our Grade 10 students were introduced and given an overview regarding the senior Health & Physical Education courses that are offered and participated in physical activities such as Zumba to keep their bodies pumping from all the presentations. Our goal was achieved to successfully promote healthy active living education as well as to emphasize the importance of daily physical activity while maintaining a balanced nutritional diet. Stay healthy & active Mary Ward!

ADVENT SERVICE PROJECTS WRAP-UP

By Mr Demore and Ms Davies During the Advent season, the Mary Ward community continued the annual tradition of adopting Advent Service Projects. Each TA group received its first choice out of five proposed projects. As we prepared our hearts and minds for Christ’s birth, staff and students showed tremendous generosity with the following outstanding results.

TA 33 Christmas Dinner: 10 TA groups raised $679.35 for Mr. Notten’s TA group to purchase a Turkey Dinner for the Homeless of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish. Special thanks to all those who helped to cook/prepare the dinner and to Mr. Notten’s TA for dedicating a Friday evening to serving those in need.

St. Vincent de Paul Adopt-a-Family: This year the St. Vincent de Paul- St. Aidan’s chapter requested grocery gift cards for needy families within their parish. Five TA groups raised $660 in grocery cards for this cause.

Silent Children’s Mission: Founded by Dr. Andrew Simone and his wife, Joan, SCM’s mission is to give a voice to those who are poor and neglected, with special attention given to children. Twelve TA groups raised $1093. 30 to be sent to those in need in countries such as Haiti and Malawi.

1Focus: Founded by a Mary Ward alumnus, Isabel Ng-Lai, and her friend Miranda Delacruz, 1Focus aims to dedicate 100% of its attention to one cause, every year. Five TA groups raised $553.35 for this year’s cause: to provide after-school programming for students in poorer regions of Mauritius.

Nikki’s Chikkies: In association with Youth Ambassadors for Peace, the purpose of this project is to purchase chickens at the price of approximately $5 CAD each and donate their eggs to individuals in various communities in Kenya who have recently been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. Goats could also be purchased for $65 CAD and cows for $300 CAD. Thirty-Five TA groups raised $4365.35 to buy several animals and were even allowed to name them!

In addition to the above projects, Ms. Albert’s TA continued its tradition of volunteering at the Birkdale Women’s Shelter Once again, Mary Ward students have made us proud!

Girls Varsity Hockey

With winter finally coming to an end, so did the short hockey season with much less turbulence. The team’s mandate this year was to go out and play as a team, have fun, and build some skills. Each game was met with enthusiasm, teamwork, and lots of encouragement to and from all players. Congratulations to players: Rebekah Barona, Drew Cathcart, Daniella Giardetti, Jessica Miguel, Kristin Miguel, Cathy Nguyen, Princess Peralta, Samantha Quinn, Rebecca Saldanha, Megan Simone, Daniella Ungaro and Sara Ventura. The season ended with all our goals being met. Looking forward to the new season!

Girls Varsity Soccer

Christmas Jewellery Sale

The Grade 11 and 10 Students would like to thank the Mary Ward Community, students, staff and teachers, who have supported their efforts in this very successful sale.

In December, the Design students have showcased and sold their jewellery design work fabricated in silver, bronze, copper, brass, glass and enamel. They displayed their work for a week and custom made all jewellery pieces the following 2 weeks. It was a busy time for these students but they have done a fantastic job. All proceeds from this sale will be going to a generous donation to The Memory Project, helping disadvantaged youth in the Philippines. The Grade 11 Art students are now busy creating portraits to be sent to the Philippines in May. Thank you to all who have participated in this event!

The winter season is well under way, with training and practice taking place three times a week. This year’s team consists of mostly junior players, with a handful of veteran members.

However, the chemistry is building, and this young team has already proven to be committed, hard-working and skillful. The first indoor tournament took place in January at the University of Toronto Invitational. This gave coaches Rossi and Parlato an opportunity to see the girls in action. This year, the girls will play in the Tier I division and will work hard to play competitively at this level. Playing the field this year are: Angelique Agustin, Drew Cathcart, Leah Chan, Angelica Colosimo, Anamaria Gaina, Natalie Geraedts, Shana Kanthoruban, Divya Mendonca, Angeline Nijmeh, Reanna Romeral, Alexa Segreto, Kennedy Sherwood, Megan Tanguilig, Sara Ventura, Goalkeeper Kieona George, and Captains Aila Bandak, Olivia D’Silva and Melissa Mathieu.

CO-OP

Because We Believe... learning doesn’t always take place in the classroom.

Today’s classroom is not always in a school setting. Cooperative Education provides students the opportunity to “test drive” a career in an area of interest and gain invaluable skills and work experience at the same time.

Over the years we have seen students in placements at the courts, law offices, animal care, marketing, accounting and business administration, retail, communication technology, human resources, teaching, therapy, fashion arts, environmental sciences, and government agencies … just to name a few. Placements in Healthcare, the Skilled Trades, Culinary Arts and Baking are becoming increasingly popular with our students.

FOCUS on the SKILLED TRADES: The Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program, also known as OYAP, has become a hot topic in recent years. Students often seek experiences that give them hands-on training that will lead them to apprenticeship opportunities. Mary Ward students have worked in carpentry, electrical, home improvement, plumbing, construction, hair styling, early childhood education, computer engineering, HVAC & air conditioning, industrial electrical design, and automotive services.

This year Mary Ward had their first student work in the Tool & Die industry. Kevin Yuayan, a Grade 12 student, completed a 4-credit (390 hours) non-registered OYAP co-op experience with Wilson Tool Canada. After reading an article on lucrative trades, Kevin decided to explore the manufacturing industry – particularly Tool & Die. Kevin became interested in the complexity and accuracy at which the dedicated machinists performed their tasks.

Knowing that he really enjoyed math and working with his hands, Kevin thought that this could be a possible career path for him. For over five months this highly motivated young man worked alongside professional machinists, and with a lot of hard work, dedication, and extraordinary work ethic, Kevin was making and replenishing stock parts and completing orders for customers. Because of his innate ability and sincere interest, Kevin was able to work in almost every shop floor division. Operations Manager, Noubar Kokorian, said that Kevin’s patience, determination, hard work and ability to grasp mathematical concepts quickly gave him the confidence to grow and become a valued employee. “My time at Wilson Tool was interesting, and as they gave me more challenging tasks,

I felt very confident in my abilities and mind-set. If I ever had a question or needed help, the staff always assisted me and taught me how to approach a task. They made sure I knew what I was doing. I really appreciated the time they took to train me and made me always feel welcomed.

Overall this experience has helped me to understand my options and make decisions about my future.” Kevin has accepted a summer job with the company!

Tommy Paraftsis is a Gr. 12 student who is in his second co-op experience. Last year Tommy worked with Alan Megahy, Husband for Hire where he learned everything there is to know about home renovations.

Tommy’s perseverance, sincere interest in construction technology, and positive work ethic allowed him to further develop the skills and knowledge required to be successful in the skilled trades. “My co-op experiences have taught me a lot about the industry I want to go into. It showed me how an actual job site would work, and how projects and problems are handled. I’ve learned what I want to do after high school because of my co-op experiences.” This year Tommy is working at Nienkamper Canada where he works with carpenters to prepare and produce high-end office furniture.

Photos (from left to right): Donn Binghay works at the Good Shepherd downtown; Brendan Foster has worked for 2 years at Nick’s No Frills, Agincourt Mall; Maryanne Mohamed is currently working at the TCDSB in Printing & Mail Services.

FOCUS on SPECIAL NEEDS CO-OP If you ask a special needs student about their favourite thing about going to work, they will almost always say “I really like the people I work with.” The Special Needs Coop Program at Mary Ward gives our students a real world experience where they can develop meaningful and workrelated skills as well as build confidence and self-esteem.

They learn to interact and develop social skills that assist them in all areas of their life. From kitchen prep work to cooking, sorting and filing, retail, stocking, data input, and packaging, these students do it all!

CANADIAN AND WORLD STUDIES NEWS 2014 CANADIAN AND WORLD STUDIES FAIR The grade 9 geography students created game boards to learn more about the international organizations of which Canada is a member. During the Fair, students were challenged by playing one another’s games and thoroughly enjoyed the experience!

The grade 10 history students engaged in a series of debates on critical Canadian history resolutions. The students learned a great deal about Canadian history from a variety of points of view.

The grade 11 Travel and Tourism students researched and presented on a variety of topics related to the impacts of human and natural events on travel and tourism as well as UNESCO. Students employed a variety of 21st Century learning strategies and techniques in their presentations, well done Travel student!

students went to the Ontario Provincial Court House at Old City Hall in downtown Toronto with Mr. Morra and Mr. Malott. Our law students observed and reviewed a variety of very interesting criminal trial matters. They also benefitted from a private meeting with an Ontario Court judge who provided our students with a fascinating analysis of one of the most notorious criminal fraud and murder cases in Canadian legal history.

On Monday, April 14th some of our grade 11 and 12 law students will participate in the 12th Annual Law Day Student Symposium at Central Technical School.

Workshops lead by lawyers on contemporary topics of particular interest, including cell phone contracts; medico-legal issues; policing; and international criminal law.

Also in April, as part of Ontario Law Education Week, our law students will have an opportunity to go to Fr. Henry Carr H.S. to experience a re-enacted, trueto-life criminal bail hearing and criminal trial conducted by lawyers, police officers and judges of the Ontario Criminal Justice profession.

All of these events offer our CWS law students real-world experience of the subjects and issues that make the study of Canadian law so fascinating.

SENIOR LAW On November 27, 2013, our grade 11 Law Students attended the annual Criminal Justice Fair at Fr. Henry Carr H.S. Our law students participated in workshops and presentations by Ontario Criminal Justice Professionals illustrating the characteristics of a variety of careers in the Ontario Criminal Justice system. Our law students found the outing a most NEW YORK! NEW YORK! Our senior students are excited about their upcoming informative experience!

On Monday, February 3rd our grade 11 law trip to New York City, April 7-11! Details to follow!

Skills Canada Prepared Speech Competition On March 4, three Mary Ward students participated in this year’s Skills Canada Prepared Speech Competition hosted

by Fr. Henry Carr Catholic Secondary School. This has been their first competition experience at the high school level. Daniel Lysak, a grade 11 students, convinced his audiences and the judges the connection between power and wealth. Serena Singh in grade 9 presented an interesting topic of how music supports students’ learning. Finally, Aloka Madaradurage, also in grade 9, persuaded her audiences to care more about the severe problems that continue to plague the third world countries. All of them presented with confidence and passion. This event happens every year which provides students with valuable experiences in public speaking.

Perspectives Conference

On February 19th, Mary Ward students attended the University of Toronto gifted conference at St. George campus. The day began with talk about the importance of a liberal arts education by keynote speaker, Professor Mark Kingswell. Students attended workshops on a variety of topics such as neurological processing, social media, the ethics of climate change, and rooftop gardening. It was an enlightening day all around.

Quebec City Trip

In February, 26 French and ESL students made the trek up the 401 into the heart of La belle province. Their destination? Québec City. Their mission? Take in the sights, smells, and sounds of one of the continent’s oldest cities. Nothing could stop this group of intrepid francophiles -- not even 30cm of snow -- from speaking with locals and jumping into the festivities at Carnaval. Their days were jam-packed with skating, dog-sledding, museumvisiting, tobogganing, ice-fishing, snowshoeing, shopping, dancing, and maple syrup-eating. Quelle aventure!

International Day

On March 6, Mary Ward students participated in International Day to celebrate and learn about other’s cultural backgrounds. Pavilions representing Italy, France, China, Poland, India, Sri Lanka, the Middle East, Great Britain, Canada, the Caribbean and the Philippines were set up around the school. Students were able to visit the different pavilions to learn information about each culture, eat traditional foods, and watch traditional performances. The day was a success and celebrating Mary Ward’s multicultural diversity brought good energy to the school community.

African-Canadian Heritage Month

In Canada, the month of February is designated as African-Canadian Heritage month. This year, a vibrant student body collaborated to organize and host events in celebration of African-Canadian heritage. Rather than a usual school assembly, the planning committee decided to try a different approach in which the events would take place during an “African Heritage Week”. Morning reflections and prayers themed on African-Canadian heritage were announced daily. Some of the school-wide events included poster and twitter challenges, a quiz for each TA group, and entertaining performances in the cafeteria during lunch. The school community was educated on the history of African-Canadian Heritage, honourable Black Canadians that have done great things in Canada, and why African-Canadian Heritage is celebrated. They ended off the week by emphasizing that African-Canadian heritage should not only be celebrated during the month of February, but instead, whenever there is an opportunity to embrace such a dynamic culture.

Drama Department Ripley’s Aquarium “This will ruin how you watch movies and television for the rest of your life,” says Mr. Hathway to the grade 11 and 12 theatre production students. “Are you ready?.....99% of all sound in movies and television are FAKE!” For all those students who didn’t believe Mr. Dalton or Mr. Hathway about this fact, they sure do believe it now after visiting Footsteps Studios in Uxbridge ON. (www. footstepssutdios.com)

Students enrolled in the SHSM program had the pleasure of going to Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada this February and arrived with a feeling nothing short of excitement as they entered the city’s newest attraction. After settling in, the SHSM students began their tour through the Canadian Waters and progress to the Aquarium’s Dangerous Lagoon, an underwater tunnel that weaves through the tank. It is the home to an array of sea creatures. Students were quick to take up close photos, videos, selfies with the sharks, and read panels including background information about the aquatic animals.

When our bus pulled up to this ordinary looking farm house in the middle of nowhere, you would never know that it was truly Hollywood North, providing Foley After passing through stingrays and other delicate sounds for such films as: species of the sea, students reached an awe-provoking segment of the tour: the Planet Jellies, where students • American Hustle couldn’t resist the lure to simply watch the jellyfish • Anchorman 2 drifting in their kreisel tank. Students admitted that • Elysium observing the jellies was mesmerizing, yet relaxing — • 42 the facility conveniently placed benches for people to • The Campaign merely watch.

• Flight

The students then finished their tour through the Life Support System, a behind-the-scenes look at how the aquarium supports specific living environments for • Vikings certain creatures. Once the entire tour was finished, • The Tudors students were able to touch stingrays and sharks, and • The Borgias were then informed of the many careers that Ripley’s Aquarium offers. The whole experience was enjoyable What is Foley you ask?

You see, it can get very noisy on a movie or television and informing, teaching the SHSM students more set with traffic, people talking, air conditioners, dogs about marine biology. barking to name a few, and so the primary responsibility on set it to record the actors voice and nothing else. That means when an actor slams her car door shut, the sound the door makes is replaced afterwards using Foley.

And also the following television series:

If you thought Mr. Dalton had every prop imaginable in the drama room, think again....when we walked into the studio, the floor was covered with over 200 pairs of shoes, a wall of different types of doors, wooden planks, a water tub, and a dirt floor that was the actual “ground”.

Andy Malcolm, who has been performing Foley since the 1970’s explained the first thing they do is record every actors footsteps that we see on screen from beginning to end. And they have over 200 pairs of shoes to choose from when they perform the footsteps. Then they go back and perform all the actors movements, such as placing a cup on the desk, flicking on a light switch, or the clanging metal from an armour suit as an actor is riding a horse. They will keep watching the movie over and over again until all the sounds on screen can be heard. Andy said on average it takes about 5-7 days to complete a feature length film and about 2-3 days to complete a television episode.

Recent Activities of Students For Life The film “It’s A Girl” was shown to Mary Ward students on January 27th. This film examines the increase in abortions of female babies and was well-received by the student audience. After showing “It’s A Girl”, Ms. Clarissa Luluquisin, Coordinator for National Campus Life Network, a Canadian college/university pro-life organization, offered many valuable tips on how to promote Mary Ward’s Students for Life Club.

Students for Life Executives Mary Okungbowa and Yousef Safar and Mr. Waud attended the 5th annual Respect for Life Student Leadership Conference on February 20th. The presentations by prominent postsecondary pro-life advocates equipped the student leaders with the tools necessary to promote a culture of life. All attendees found the conference most informative and inspiring.

Our Kids Our Future Wrap-Up Our Kids Our Future (OKOF) hosted a week of education and awareness around the issue of human trafficking.

The week included a series of activities, guest speakers and a civvies day fundraiser. OKOF members hosted a scavenger hunt at lunch, and an information flash mob.

As well, daily prayers and reflections helped to educate the Mary Ward community about human trafficking in Canada and Toronto.

The highlights of the week were our guest speakers.

OKOF hosted Diane Redsky from the Canadian Women’s Foundation.

She gave an extremely informative presentation on human trafficking in Canada. She challenged students to learn about it, speak up, stop

it and change it. In addition, the group hosted two speakers from PROS (Providing Resources, Offering Support) which is an organization that is generously funded through the Anglican Diocese of Toronto. The speakers offered information on domestic human trafficking in Canada and in particular in Toronto.

In addition, OKOF hosted the 5th Annual student teacher basketball game, “The Rumble Games”! Although the teachers made a valiant effort the students outplayed them for sure! Much fun was had by all. Many thanks go out to all participants and volunteers. Over $600 was raised for The Toronto Hospital for Sick Children, well done OKOF!

ADRENALYN DANCE CREW On Saturday, February 15, Mary Ward’s Dance Crew Adrenalyn participated in the Bring Your Own Beat Dance Competition. Adrenalyn challenged 12 other dance crews with an energetic and passionate routine, receiving some of the loudest cheers of the night. They deservingly won awards for Best Concept, Best Costume, Audience Favorite, Best Dancer and finished 2nd overall only 0.5 points behind the 1st place team. Ms. Evangelista was very proud of their performance and thought you would all enjoy watching their winning routine.

Watch it on YouTube at http://youtu.be/dwWC0BUkvHo

French

Public

Speaking

On March 24 and 25, 2014 three Mary Ward French students participated in the finals of the French Public Speaking Contest at the Catholic Education Centre. All three presented thoughtful speeches and placed very well in their categories. Celestina Kalonji (Gr 9) placed third, Angeine Nijmeh (Gr 11) placed second and Alexia Olaizola (Gr 12) placed second. We are very proud of this excellent achievement-bravo les filles!

DECA@Ward The Mary Ward Chapter was proud to participate in the 35th Annual DECA Provincial competition that took place at the Sheraton Centre on February 9-11, 2014.

This year, DECA Ontario registered approximately 8,200 students across Ontario, with 213 schools participating. The Provincial Competition is attended by members who qualify from an oral or written

business event at a Regional competition. DECA@ Ward registered 47 members for the fierce Provincials that had approximately 5,500 students competing for medals. Our team was led by an outstanding group of DECA Executives that ran meetings, events, and helped to prepare for the competition. This year, our medal winners are Robyn Ching for Principles of Finance, Alexia Olaizola for Retailing Merchandising Services and Mary Arulnesan, Kenari Ong and Samantha Quinto for their written proposal for an Entrepreneurship Plan. The latter team placed 4th overall in their category, earning them a spot at this year’s International Competition in Atlanta, Georgia, USA on May 1–8, 2014. They will become a part of the Canadian delegation of approximately 400 students that will head south to show their Canadian talents.

Good luck ladies! DECA’s motto is Demonstrating Excellence, Celebrating Achievement. Our mandate at DECA@Ward is to Engage, Educate & Empower. For more about DECA, check out www.deca.ca, contact DECA advisors Ms. Morra or Mrs. Ventura, or just ask a DECA Executive.

Gender Justice

Gender Justice week was a success as our week was on the issue of aboriginal women,we touched upon the issues of the equality,rights and the violence against aboriginal women and have successfully raised money to support the sisters in spirit organization that promotes and enhances the well-being of First Nations and Metis Women. Gender Justices’ annual celebration of International Women’s day was very successful as we celebrated the day with music, picture taking giving out ribbons and cake.

SHSM Visit to Toronto Rehab

On January 28, members of Mary Ward’s SHSM program had the opportunity to visit the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, Canada’s largest rehabilitation hospital. As part of the experience students were given a tour of the Challenging Environmental Assessment Laboratory (CEAL) and learned about innovations taking place to aid rehab patients, such as the facility’s one-of-a-kind motion simulators.

Students were able to explore the StairsLab, WinterLab, and StreetsLab simulators, all of which are designed to imitate real-life situations and help patients in the recovery process. The group also learned about various careers in the field of rehabilitation research such as mechanical and biomedical engineers, machinists and roboticists. The students left with a greater understanding of the research and innovations taking place in modern science. This was a very interesting and exciting experience for all SHSM members!

THE MARY WARD DEBATING CLUB Imagine one day a great man saying, “It can be a universal truth, that simplicity and commitment to a cause can change hearts and better the world.”

As history is not shy to show - through Dr. King, Jr., President Kennedy, Prime Minister Churchill, and countless eloquent others - the art of debating fits that bill perfectly. Right here at Mary Ward, there is a debating club and its members develop the important skill of self-confidence while enlightening and convincing others.

Club members have recently debated in-house some challenging resolutions!

One recent resolution was: “BIRT (Be It Resolved That) Canada should allow assisted suicide.” This is a critical issue that challenges us to come to terms with the position that a life involving suffering is still a life worth living. Club members are currently

preparing to debate a socioeconomic issue that is still debatable in our contemporary world: “BIRT the glass ceiling still exists.” In addition to debating this resolution in-house, the Mary Ward Debating Club may also debate it at the next Ontario ProCon Tournament on Saturday, April 5th at Bloor Collegiate.

Some students enjoy the ‘thrill and glory’ of belonging to a sports team, but it’s truly another thing to get up and go on a rollicking and enriching debating journey! With all that debating has to offer - diversified resolutions, thoughtful research, critical thinking and the chance to gain skills for life - we welcome you, fellow Mary Ward students, with your great potential to know and change the world, to come out and experience the thrill of debating! Stay sharp, Mary Ward and Let’s Go

Free the Children Week The last week of January was Free the Children Week. Members held a bake sale and kicked off their winter car wash in style — with a snow storm! The event was even televised. In all, the students and staff contributed well over a thousand dollars toward this year`s cause: to better the education of children in Nicaragua.

So what`s next from FTC? Stay tuned for our video contest, where there’s a cash prize to be won for best video.

Student Activity Council

The previous months at Mary Ward were exciting times as Semi-Formal and Mary Ward’s Birthday took place.

Semi-formal was a hit event! It was a night to remember, with memories that were unforgettable. SAC would like to extend a thank you to all who participated in the 2014 Semi Formal, including the students, staff, and hosts.

Mary Ward’s Birthday Cake Contest was a hit as well. All of the cakes spectacular and the Admins definitely made tough decisions on which TA had the best cake. Mr. Rossi’s TA, TA 28, won the cake contest, claiming a treat for a morning TA. Thanks to all TA’s who participated in the contest, as well as to the Admin for their time in judging it.

Spirit Week is approaching as well and it will take place on the week of March 31 - April 4. It is with great excitement that SAC would like to announce the Ward 2014 Games! On each day during the highly anticipated spirit week, we have a awesome event. The exact events will be outlined below:

Monday, March 31 -Crazy Hair/Hat Day -“Minute to Win it” at lunch

Tuesday, April 1 -Foil Accessory Day

Wednesday, April 2 -Pajama Day

-Obstacle Course -Scavenger Hunt at at lunch lunch

Thursday, April 3 -Ward Wear Day

Friday, April 4 -Rep your grade with your grade’s colour:

-Name That Tune at lunch 9’s – Green 10’s – White 11’s – Blue 12’s – Red

-Olympic Games at lunch We are looking forward to hosting Spirit Week and Student Council hopes that we can create one of the most exciting weeks for this school year!

SAC @ Semi 2014: Casino Royale

Spirit Week 2014

S H S M W E E K

Mary Ward’s very own SHSM executive team hosted their first ever SHSM week from January 20-24, 2014. During the week, the SHSM executive team informed students about smoking; organized a bake sale, which raised $176 (funds were donated to United Ostomy Association of Canada Inc., in memory of Alison Atkins); planned a twitter contest for best “fruit art” - congratulations to Mr. Wong’s TA for their rendition of the “Fruit Goat”; and, introduced a Health and Wellness day, where students were able to be take part in meditation, yoga or pilates. A big thanks to Mr. Demore, Ms. Wisniowski, Ms. Hayes, Mr. Morra, and Ms. Dagva for making this happen.

We want to thank all the students that participated and helped make SHSM week such a success. If you’re still interested in the SHSM program, please see Dr. Engalla, or any one of the SHSM executives.

All Are Welcome to our Spring Music Concert!

By Mr. Jatiouk

Once again, all are invited to Mary Ward’s own Music Department’s Spring Concert happening on May 15th, 2014 at 7:30pm.

Featured, are performances given by the Stage Band, Junior Band, Intermediate Band, Senior Band, Junior Choir and Senior Choir. This is an evening which will highlight the incredible talents of our music students, conducted

by Mr. Jatiouk, Mr. Carabine, Mr. Volpe and Ms. McGroarty. The evening is also supported by our outstanding tech crew whose expertise contributes to a great evening of song and music under the direction of Mr. Dalton.

Tickets are available close to concert time from the Music office or from any student in the music department.

Be sure to purchase your tickets early!

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Traffic & Parking Concerns We are quite aware of the traffic concerns while entering and exiting the main Mary Ward entrance on Kennedy Road. As many of you know, we did have our Ward 39 City of Toronto Councillor, Michael Del Grande commission a traffic study to examine the possibility of the installation of a set of traffic lights at this entrance. The results of the study indicated that there were too few traffic collisions to warrant the need for a set of lights. Could we ask the following: 1. If you are involved in a traffic collision at the Mary Ward entrance/exit on Kennedy Road, please report this to the Collision Reporting Centre. This will provide data for future traffic studies.

2. Traffic at Ward is reasonable prior to 8:15 in the morning. To avoid long lines in our driveway, please arrive to Mary Ward 5 – 10 minutes earlier. This will save you time entering and exiting Mary Ward.

3. PLEASE KEEP THE PARKING LOT ENTRANCES CLEAR OF TRAFFIC. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF STAFF AND PARENTS WHO NEED TO ENTER OR EXIT OUR PARKING LOTS AND ARE UNABLE TO DO SO AS THE CARS IN OUR DRIVEWAY BLOCK THE ENTRANCE/EXIT TO THE PARKING LOTS. PLEASE HELP US OUT AND REFRAIN FROM BLOCKING THE PARKING LOT ENTRANCES/EXITS. 4. Please refrain from dropping your children off for school on the side of McNicoll Avenue. We have had a number of near-misses in having our students hit by cars as they exit their family cars while still on McNicoll Avenue. Please take that extra time to actually enter the Community Centre parking lot.

5. TTC! We strongly encourage our students to be self-directed and self-reliant. Taking the TTC promotes these skills; it is better for the environment and will significantly reduce traffic at Mary Ward.

Thank you for your assistance with these matters.

Please do not block openings to driveways

Looking for current news and information about our school? Find us online!

Please check out the Mary Ward Portal at http://www. tcdsb.org/schools/maryward where you can find out about up-coming school events, learn about our special sprograms, frind various school schedules and much more.

TORONTO CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEES 2013-2014 WARDS 1.

Peter Jakovcic 416 512 3401 2. Ann Andrachuck, Chair 416 512 3402 3. Sal Piccininni, Vice-Chair 416 512 3403 4.

Patrizia Bottoni 416 512 3404 5.

Maria Rizzo 416 512 3405 6.

Frank D’Amico 416 512 3406 7. John Del Grande 416 512 3407 8.

Garry Tunuan 416 512 3408 9.

Jo-Ann Davis 416 512 3409 10.

Barabara Poplawski 416 512 3410 11.

Angela Kennedy 416 512 3411 12.

Nancy Crawford, 416 512 3412 Vice chair William Lawrence

Student Trustee 416 512 3413 Enrique Olivo

Student Trustee 416 512 3417

Designed by Jercy David