The Shield Winter 2021

THE

A MAGAZINE FOR THE ROYAL ST. GEORGE’S COLLEGE COMMUNITY

Winter 2021

SHIELD

Adaptability & Resilience during the COVID-19 Pandemic

#RSGC STRONGER TOGETHER Annual Giving 2020/2021

This year's Annual Giving funds will allow our Headmaster to respond to the most urgent needs of the College.

Donate online www.rsgc.on.ca/giving

Contents

The Shield Winter 2021 Email: shield@rsgc.on.ca General Inquiries: 416.533.9481 Alumni Inquiries: 416.516.5202

All non-family photos shown without masks and physical distancing were taken pre-pandemic.

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Headmaster: Stephen Beatty ’86 Editor: Lauren Alpern Copy Editor: Dave Mitchell Designer: Jonathan Cresswell-Jones Photography: Lauren Alpern, CanGrad Studios, Gustavo Gonzalez, RSGC Archives, RSGC Community, Tom Stevens Editorial Committee: Lauren Alpern, Marin Anderson, Stephen Beatty ’86, Drew Blanchette ’96, Maria Jordan, Amanda Ploughman, Riley Wong ’12

10 26

RSGC Board of Governors

ADAPTABILITY AND RESILIENCE

Officers

4

Korean Village Restaurant in Jeopardy Jason Lee ’00 is fighting tooth and nail to keep his family restaurant afloat during the pandemic, and friends like Andrew Harris '03 have really stepped up to the plate to help.

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Stepping into Life’s Challenges RSGC’s long-standing community partnerships haven’t been damaged because of COVID-19 – they have only strengthened. Georgians are still playing their part to volunteer and get involved in the community.

16 The Vaux Family: Becoming a Two-Georgian Household

With a new Georgian in the house, the Vaux family is learning to adapt

to a new pandemic reality.

21

The Long and Winding Road to Oxford University Despite ending his Georgian career in a lockdown, Luca Morgante ’20 has made it all the way to Oxford, clearing a bunch of hurdles along the way.

26 The Boys Are Alright

Sebastian Raman says being open to change is the key to success for

the Class of 2021.

Chair: Cathy Cranston Vice Chair: Gordon Raman Past Chair: Bruce Chapple ’87 Treasurer, Audit and Finance Committee Chair: Steve Geist Headmaster: Stephen Beatty ’86 Chief Financial Officer, Board Secretary: Jane Nyman Directors Brad Holland, Advancement Committee Chair Peter Mann, Governance Committee Chair Alyssa Pei, Strategic Planning Committee Chair Amanda Ploughman, Guild Representative Eddie Beqaj ’08, Alumni Representative Andrew Armstrong ’88 Dr. Leanne Foster Dr. Sarah Hales Alison Leung Sharon Lewis Geoff Osborne ’08 Tim Elliott, Clergy Richard Talbot The Shield is the official magazine of Royal St. George’s College. Serving RSGC’s alumni and community, it strives to engage, inform and connect all audiences.

The Shield Winter 2021 • Royal St. George’s College 1

LETTER FROM THE HEADMASTER

Dear Fellow Georgians,

T

he 2020/21 school year, the 57th of our history, began as no other year has before.

Before the arrival of the boys on campus on September 8, it had been 26 weeks and five days since a student had been inside the school. In that time, all of our students finished their current grade, the Class of 2020 graduated, three babies were born and three parents were lost to colleagues. Winter turned to spring turned to summer on an empty campus. One of the more poignant reminders for me of the emptiness of the campus were the many pairs of winter boots lined up carefully in the hallways, frozen in time from the last day of school on March 5 until they were tidied up in the heat of July.

Of course, life marched on. As shared in the summer issue of The Shield, our College, and all that RSGC is, did not

freeze on March 5. It was re-imagined, and it flourished. Only the school buildings were closed; the essential parts of the RSGC experience continued.

Among the most important characteristics we can engender in our boys as we prepare them for their future are adaptability and resilience. This issue of The Shield considers five stories on four dates, each demonstrating these Georgian traits lived out loud.

On behalf of the boys and my colleagues, best wishes for our entire community for a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a prosperous New Year.

Stephen Beatty ’86 Headmaster

Message from the Editor

Y

ou’ll notice that this issue of The Shield is a little bit different than usual—unless it’s your first, of course, in which case, welcome! We’ve decided to

stray from our usual format of spotlights focused on alumni, parents and students. We figured that since we’re in such a different time, we’d go for something a little bit different

2 The Shield Winter 2021 • Royal St. George’s College

in an effort to document and share the RSGC community’s incredible response to unprecedented times.

The theme of this issue is Resilience and Adaptability.

We’ve focused on five moments in time in five different people’s lives between March 5 and October 19, 2020. How were these people’s lives affected by the global pandemic? How did they adapt? What have they had to overcome? For example, we followed a new graduate who missed out on the pomp and circumstance of a normal graduation, but has since made it to Oxford. We get to know an alumnus whose Georgian bonds come through as he bends heaven and earth to keep his family restaurant afloat. I can’t promise you won’t cry when you read that

story, and I hope you won’t fight the urge to run out and order some food from his restaurant.

On a personal note, I remain working from home, which feels bizarre while life at school happens without me.

I miss it, but I’m reminded that I would still be doing all of my interviews over Google Meet since the cohorts are so tight. I miss campus, but I’m happy that everyone remains healthy and safe.

Happy holidays and enjoy the issue.

Lauren Alpern Editor, The Shield lalpern@rsgc.on.ca

RSGC Alumni Association Executive 2020/21

MESSAGE FROM THE RSGCAA PRESIDENT

Eddie Beqaj ’08, President Riley Wong ’12, Vice-President

A New Reality

Committee Scott Ackley ’04, Secretary and Events Peter Antonoff ’82, Arts and Culture

Dear Fellow Georgians,

Elias Blahacek ’13, Speaker Series Drew Blanchette ’96, Events John Buckingham ’71, Foundation Board Representative

I

hope that everyone is staying safe and healthy during these uncertain times.

First, I would like to thank Drew Blanchette ’96 for his leadership and guidance of the RSGCAA over the last four years. The association is in a better place thanks to Drew’s vision and hard work. While my first few months as the Association president haven’t looked exactly as I anticipated they would, I’m proud to be a part of such an incredible community – one that shines through in difficult moments and sticks together even when we can’t actually be together.

Despite a difficult year, we have continued to push forward with our RSGCAA 2025 Strategic Plan deliverables. The Marketing Communications Committee finalized a multi-year communications plan. Our Mentorship Committee formalized its program and looks forward to launching it in the coming months. We also recently rolled out a pilot mental health initiative for a group of university alumni.

The RSGCAA Executive team has been working hard throughout the fall to continue bringing events to the greater RSGC community. On October 27, we had 18 alumni mentors and six alumni facilitators join the Grade 12s in our Speed Mentoring event. Although we had to run this event virtually this year, we had a great turnout and lots of amazing advice from the Georgians who are currently in university. On October 29, we continued our Knight Series with Neil Hetherington ’91, CEO of Daily Bread Food Bank, speaking on poverty and food insecurity. Neil spoke to us about the Daily Bread Food Bank’s recently released report, Hunger Lives Here: Risks and Challenges Faced by Food Bank Clients

Connor Byrne ’13, Mentorship Rudro Chakrabarti ’10, Communications David Clark ’08, Events and Sponsorship Will Fripp ’88, Inter-Alumni(ae) Association Initiatives Conor Gordon ’09, Mentorship Steven Hobé ’88, Healthy Minds Initiative Andrew Krausz ’12, Communications Anthony Lisi ’15, Healthy Minds Initiative

During COVID-19, which details the impact of COVID-19 on food insecurity and food bank use in Toronto.

Sadly, we have had to postpone some of our favourite events, including the Old Boys’ Dinner, the Carol Service Alumni Reception and the Legends Ball Hockey Tournament. We will continue to bring you more virtual events and other ways to engage our amazing community.

The RSGCAA Executive Committee continues to grow. We have added five Georgians to the team: Conor Gordon ’09, Ben Mason ’11, Max Sisam ’06, Andrew Savory ’11 and Rudro Chakrabarti ’10. As always, if you would like to get more involved, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

I look forward to the day that we can all get back together, but in the meantime, stay safe and have a wonderful holiday season.

Jonathan Lucas ’03, Sponsorship Ben Mason ’11, Mentorship Dan Mitchell ’99, Mentorship Otis Moore ’15, Arts and Culture James Reble ’10, Sponsorship Andrew Savory ’11, Communications Max Sisam ’06, Communications Jacob Reil ’21, Alumni Student Liaison

RSGC

ALUMNI

ALWAYS GEORGIAN

Best, Eddie Beqaj ’08 The Shield Winter 2021 • Royal St. George’s College 3

FEATURE

Korean Village Restaurant in Jeopardy

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The pandemic has hit many businesses hard, including Korean Village Restaurant, which has been in business for over 40 years.

The restaurant has had many loyal customers over the years.

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MARCH 5, 2020 On March 5, 2020, it was business as usual at the Korean Village Restaurant on Bloor Street West. With over 40 years in business, the restaurant in the heart of Toronto’s Koreatown was thriving thanks to their incredible dishes, prepared with fresh ingredients and presented simply, with a focus on Korean flavour and quality.

Jason Lee ’00 started working as the restaurant’s General Manager in 2008. His parents, who started the restaurant in 1978, were getting older and needed help. He had to learn the ropes, so he did everything from working in the back and front of house, to taking care of administrative duties.

In October 2019, his mother passed away suddenly, and Jason was forced to take over as owner of the restaurant overnight.

“I was always passionate about the restaurant, but when you work with your parents, it’s different,” said Jason, whose wife is also involved in the family business. “My mother and I had our differences, and we would scream at each other. In hindsight, I would do anything to hear her scream at me again.”

Jason managed to take over the business and continue to serve his mother’s food to his

After Jason's mother passed away, Rickesh Kotecha '00 stopped by the restaurant with fellow grads of the same year to offer support. From L to R: Andrew Pettit, Adam Smith, Galen Davies, Michel Mainardi, Justin Young, Arden Church, Jason and Rickesh.

loyal customers. He had 20 employees – several of whom had been with Korean Village Restaurant for almost 40 years, including the chef, who had cooked meals for him as a child.

And then the novel coronavirus arrived in Canada with a vengeance.

MARCH 30, 2020

By March 30, 2020, the

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Korean Village Restaurant had been closed to indoor dining for two weeks, with only takeout available.

Takeout had typically been ten per cent of its overall business, with no outdoor space available thanks to the building’s proximity to the bike lanes.

It was a huge hit for Jason and his beloved family

business. They went from doing $14,000 in business on a typical Friday and Saturday to doing $1,800.

“We had 20 staff members, full- and part-time, and I had to let them go. It hurt so much – some of them were practically family. In this instance, I’m glad my mom wasn’t around,” said Jason, who started at RSGC in

After his mother's passing in October 2019, Jason took over as the restaurant's owner. Now, he is working day and night just to keep the family business afloat.

Grade 7. “I hope no one has to go through that – laying people off for things they didn’t do wrong. It was so wrong emotionally, it’s demoralizing. From March until August, it was literally just me, my wife and a chef. My wife and I would take orders and then run back to the kitchen to help the chef.”

With the restaurant closed to indoor dining and no staff on hand other than the chef, Jason counts his blessings that his family owns the property that houses the restaurant.

Government grants were able

to go towards paying bills in February and March.

“We’re pretty much going month to month to month. In the food industry, the margins are very low. You rely on people continually supporting you. You have to factor in all these costs.

Our margins are super slim to begin with, and now, they’ve gotten even slimmer,” said Jason. “If we had to pay rent, we would have closed last June.

What you’re seeing now across the city is so many businesses that have closed permanently.

In Koreatown alone, there have been almost 30 businesses that have shut down.”

Jason has had to adapt his business in an attempt to keep Korean Village Restaurant afloat.

“We’ve had to learn how to run a restaurant amongst three people. We’ve had to learn how to package our food better, how to accommodate specific requests,

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Georgian Andrew Harris '03 has been working as a server without a paycheque to help out his friend.

we’ve changed some of our pricing in hope that people would order and support us, and we’ve had to adapt on the fly every single day,” said Jason. “We also didn’t realize how much we’d have to rely on delivery programs like Uber Eats, DoorDash and Ritual. We use those programs because they have such enormous reach. They take a huge cut, but we don’t offer our own driver because it doesn’t make sense.”

There were some touching moments, however, like when fellow Georgian Daniel Green ’01, a regular visitor to Korean Village Restaurant, along with his brother Adam Green ’99 and their family, made a generous donation. Jason used it to make meals for Toronto Western Hospital and other frontline workers in the city.

8 The Shield Winter 2021 • Royal St. George’s College

SEPTEMBER 8, 2020 After a major deep clean, Jason opened the restaurant to indoor dining at the beginning of September. Despite indoor dining being allowed since the end of July 2020, Jason wanted to be extra cautious.

“We wanted to ensure the safety of everyone. Loss is loss, no matter how it happens, and I know what it’s like to lose someone suddenly,” said Jason.

“We didn’t want to open right away because we didn’t want to jeopardize the safety of our staff or anyone who comes in.”

Jason, who has always been reluctant to ask for help, reached out to fellow Georgian Andrew Harris ’03 to see if he could help with the deep clean. Andrew, an actor and comedian who goes by the stage name Andrew Oporto, had been frequently checking in on his friend to see if he needed help.

“I saw his stress. I knew Jason and I knew his mom – she had provided the food for a short film we did. He was stressing out and worried about closing,” said Andrew, who, after his best year ever as a performer, had to go on CERB due to the pandemic.

“I kept pushing Jason to see if he needed help, and finally he asked if I could help clean because he was going to reopen, so I said I would and that I could also serve.”

Andrew had serving and bartending experience 10 years prior, but had never served Korean food that involved lots of little dishes and bowls like rice, kimchi and sauces. It has been a learning experience.

“It’s nerve-wracking,

Jason and Andrew's story has been all over the news.

but I’m now a Korean food connoisseur,” said Andrew, who is a Georgian lifer. “Jason and his wife are like family to me. And they feed me.”

Jason is truly humbled by his friend’s gesture.

“Andrew has worked here for over a month and we haven’t compensated him at all. He has only received tips. It hurts my pride and I feel bad that we can’t pay him,” said Jason. “It is such an honour to have him here helping us.”

For Andrew, it was a nobrainer to volunteer his help.

“I kept talking to him and he seemed so stressed. Even before the lockdown. When you see a buddy who’s in trouble, you want to do something. Besides, my professional life has come to a halt and I need to always be out doing stuff, so this gets me out too.”

As for Jason, he believes that Andrew’s efforts are

helping the restaurant stay open, and that’s the most important thing for him and his family.

“Like most small businesses, we’re not focused on making money – we’re just focused on staying open. We truly care about the people who walk through our doors.

My goal and my mission are that if you’re walking through my doors, I want you to have a memorable experience. If we can do that, we’re doing something right,” said Jason.

“This place is my mom’s legacy. I had the greatest teacher and I learned how to care about the quality of food.

I still love it and I have so much passion to be here every day.”

Staying open has been a constant struggle. Jason said that one week, he and his wife put in 165 hours between the two of them and were unable to pay

themselves a single cent.

“This whole experience has had a huge effect on me and has been weighing on me. My wife and I haven’t had time to go out on a date.

We’re literally living, eating and breathing this restaurant for the purpose of staying open,” said Jason. “I have a real emotional attachment to this place. When I visited my mom’s grave on the one-year anniversary of her death, I asked her to send me more strength. Making money is not my main priority, it’s keeping the lights on and keeping this business going.”

Unfortunately, even with indoor dining open, business has been tough.

The restaurant, which can usually accommodate 138 customers, was never at the new maximum of 100 patrons.

Jason says the highest number he remembers having over the summer was 40.

OCTOBER 19, 2020 With Toronto back into a modified Stage Two, indoor dining is no longer allowed and the Korean Village Restaurant is back to takeout only – a mere ten per cent of their pre-pandemic business.

Jason is scared, but better prepared. And he has Andrew by his side to help however he needs.

“This time, we’re trying to focus on takeout. We revamped our menu again

and we lowered our prices,” said Jason. “We recently introduced a first-time-ever lunch special called Mom’s Lunch Special that encapsulates what my mom was all about. We gave some of them away to people in the community and they said they were so full! We just want the opportunity to serve my mom’s food to people every day.”

Andrew has been impressed by the community support for the neighbourhood staple.

“They have customers who have been coming for over 20 years,” said Andrew. “There was even an Italian customer who brought in some tiramisu for us. It’s incredible.”

But what has brought Jason to tears has been the support from the RSGC community. Staff, alumni, students and parents who have heard about his plight have come out in droves to dine in or order takeout.

“People from RSGC have been coming, and it means a lot. I always knew I was lucky, but I am so thankful to be an RSGC Knight and I’m so thankful that my mom sent me to a school like RSGC. I learned a lot in terms of community, in terms of looking out for one another and the bonds that you make,” said Jason. “The amount of support that we still get from RSGC means so much.

“Thank you to anyone from the RSGC community who has ever walked through our doors. Thank you.”

Korean Village Restaurant is located at 628 Bloor Street West. www.koreanvillageto.com If you can, please order and pick up directly, rather than going through a food delivery service.

Jason is grateful for your support.

The Shield Winter 2021 • Royal St. George’s College 9

FEATURE FEATURES

STEPPING INTO

LIFE'S CHALLENGES Community service stretches our students in good ways—even more so during a pandemic.

RSGC has had a standing relationship with Friday Food Ministries.

10 The Shield Winter 2021 • Royal St. George’s College

Pitching In During the lockdown, boys pitched in wherever they could – family businesses, local businesses or local charities – to play their part and help make a difference.

MARCH 5, 2020 Parents want to raise children who can get back on their feet after setbacks.

Schools want to graduate students who can navigate the demands of postsecondary education and life thereafter without giving up when obstacles inevitably arise.

There’s no downside to resilience.

Young people only benefit from learning how to adapt and recover whenever their confidence or sense of equilibrium take a hit.

An interesting feature of resilience, though, is that it develops out of uncertainty and discomfort. Like Goldilocks, children need to experience stresses that aren’t too hard and aren’t too soft, but are just right. They need opportunities for growth that take them out of their comfort zone—but not so far that they’re overwhelmed.

Community service at RSGC had always provided exactly that opportunity.

Volunteering in the community involves stepping into the unseen and unknown of other people’s lives. It requires leaving behind the familiar and habitual to share a space with people outside established boundaries of the self, the home and the

school.

This is why the College partners with organizations like Our Place Community of Hope, Friday Food Ministries, Lord Dufferin Public School, Heart to Hand and Vermont Square, to name just a few. Not only does volunteering build strong, vibrant, inclusive communities, but it also stretches the personal limits of our students, broadens their perspective and deepens their compassion.

“Our goal is always to get our students out into the community and engaged with people they might not otherwise have a chance to know and appreciate,” said Emma Totten, RSGC’s

Junior School boys had been going to Our Place Community of Hope each week.

Community Partnerships and Global Outreach Coordinator. “Service opportunities encourage the boys to connect with others outside their own life experience and see the world through different eyes. Serving others expands their thinking and develops their sense of competence and confidence, while also benefitting others.”

Before our world took a dramatic turn after March break, RSGC boys

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Making a Difference During the lockdown, many boys found ways to volunteer without the school's help.

Once a Georgian, always a Georgian.

would regularly deliver food and help prepare meals for those in the community, visit and share activities with seniors, collect clothes and other essential goods for organizations, engage with younger students in other schools, and so much more.

Junior School teacher Brian Robinson has forged an especially strong connection between RSGC and Our

12 The Shield Winter 2021 • Royal St. George’s College

Place Community of Hope, a safe and inclusive space for adults experiencing mental health issues. He describes the work and activities the boys usually engage in at Our Place as a natural fit.

“Once a week, a group of Grade 7s and 8s, plus a few senior students, would head out after chapel to work in the kitchen and spend time with the guests,” he said.

“They would unpack food

orders, organize the pantry and help with the garbage. They would also play chess, cards, pool, take part in the art program and even join in karaoke. They often saw the same guests week after week and developed friendships. That close contact made a big difference in the lives of our boys.”

The feedback Brian regularly gathered from the students revealed one dominant theme: that they have become more aware of people who lack their privileges and feel more connected to the larger community.

Natasha Wakaruk, Senior Operations Manager at Our Place, says that the guests also benefit from spending time with enthusiastic and open-minded young people.

“They see the boys working hard and helping out,” she said. “That means a lot to them. They also love playing games— more than a few friendly competitions evolved—and developing new relationships. With developmental disabilities, physical disabilities or mental health challenges, our clients are looking for a place free from judgment where they can access supports and socialize in positive ways. The RSGC boys help provide both.”

This was so before the coronavirus pandemic arrived. Now that we’re in its midst, personal and social boundaries have shifted again. And, once more, our students have had to adapt to change and find creative solutions to new challenges.

MARCH 30, 2020 After Premier Doug Ford declared a state of emergency, Our Place and other organizations like it closed their doors to drop-in volunteers, visitors and clients.

“Many of our clients are low-income or have difficulty managing self-care, so they rely on us for prepared food,” said Natasha. “When we had to stop in-person programming, we moved as quickly as possible to a take-out meal.

We had lost some of the food donations we relied on. And, of course, our volunteers, like the RSGC boys, could no longer come and help out.”

When the College moved to remote learning, its community service program moved into limbo.

“Our regular service model was on hold, so we talked to the boys about

some options to pursue,” said Brian.

“They could write letters to the seniors at Vermont Square or drop goods and food off at our partner organizations.

Anything that could be managed within their homes. But the face-to-face work they had been doing all year came to an end.”

At the time, no one could foresee how the pandemic restrictions would impact the daily operations of organizations like Our Place. Natasha’s team had to suspend all in-person programming and meals, essentially cutting off most of the social interactions her clients rely on. In addition, the number of people needing meals began to climb as time passed, from about 170 in March to 1,200 in the fall.

“We used to serve meals Tuesday through Friday,” said Natasha. “In August, we went to five days a week.

In good weather, clients pick up the food outside and also eat it outside, maintaining physical distance. On rainy days, they ring a bell and take the food away with them. But our numbers have continued to grow since March, and our resources have declined.”

The RSGC community had to find new ways to help.

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Lord Dufferin Public School RSGC's long-standing relationship with Lord Dufferin has turned into weekly virtual Reading Buddies and Math Buddies sessions with a Grade 2/3 class.

SEPTEMBER 8, 2020 What did community service look like when school resumed under the current pandemic restrictions?

“We are approaching community partnerships as we always have,” said Emma Totten. “We begin by asking organizations, how can we help? What do you need? We continue to support our community partners as much as possible, mainly focusing on deliveries of needed supplies and on virtual programs.”

Our Place and Friday Food Ministries have prioritized food, so RSGC boys and their families help by providing groceries and meals prepared in homes, as well as containers, utensils and recycled plastic bags to support the take-out model. The Terry Fox Run was held virtually, with the entire school community aiming to run Terry’s total distance (they surpassed it). The food, clothing, book and pajama drives continue, with families donating directly to identified organizations.

Reading Buddies and Math Buddies continue virtually at Lord Dufferin School, with RSGC students using Google Meets to reach kids in the classroom.

Brian Robinson notes that the signup sheets for Friday Food Ministries and Our Place are full.

“After pausing last spring and over the summer, we started September up and running with the new model,” he said. “The boys are just as interested, always asking what they can do. Our support carries on, but the specific services have adjusted. The families in this community don’t want to end their giving.”

Nor does the school want to disrupt the considerable advantages that community service offers participants: improved physical health, mental health, social interaction, life satisfaction and coping ability. Even with current modifications, students who volunteer continue to build mental strength and overall wellness.

OCTOBER 19, 2020

The RSGC community found new ways to help, delivering pre-made food to Our Place and Friday Food Ministries.

14 The Shield Winter 2021 • Royal St. George’s College

With the number of clients needing organizations like Our Place continuing to grow, Natasha worries about the winter months. Providing virtual programming is a challenge, as few of her clients have the technology at home or can use it unassisted. Her team continues to phone about 50 clients per week—the most vulnerable and isolated—to check in. But it’s difficult to take advantage of the boys’ technology skills with this particular population.

“The loss of social contact is hard on our clients,” said Natasha. “But the

school continues to help us with the increasing number of people who need meals.

Families drop carloads of groceries and supplies—anything we have ever needed, and as our situation evolves, they have been so quick to respond. Those families are lifesavers for us.”

Under normal circumstances, students engaged in community service step into what author Daniel Pink calls productive discomfort. That’s a state of just enough unfamiliarity

and uncertainty—even positive stress—to promote personal growth and develop confidence.

Today, these students have to navigate added layers of the unfamiliar and adapt to ever-changing circumstances. It will be a relief when this health threat passes. But there is no doubt that our boys are learning not just how to cope with discomfort, but how to persist through it to emerge better equipped to meet life’s challenges.

Families have been getting involved with Friday Food Ministries by making the food at home and then delivering it to the church.

The Shield Winter 2021 • Royal St. George’s College 15

FEATURE

The Vaux Family: Becoming a Two-Georgian Household

16 The Shield Winter 2021 • Royal St. George’s College

Owen loves RSGC and is happy to have his younger brother there.

MARCH 5, 2020 It’s busy in the Vaux household. With three kids at three different schools, life is hectic.

Activities every night, from Spirit of Math to their daughter’s competitive hockey, mean there’s not much downtime.

Owen, Class of 2027, is happy in his Grade 5 class, and likes his teacher, Thomas Story, as they share a love for math.

Owen’s mother, Meredith Roth, is happy that Owen, her oldest son, is having such a great school year, and even happier that in the fall, her younger son will be joining him at RSGC. “Owen loves RSGC. Despite talking too much and not liking to sit still, he does well academically,” said Meredith. “Mr. Story has such a great way with the boys, and they all have such great respect for him. When you have that, the class is happy in

a general sense. It has been a great school year so far.”

Owen’s love for the College is obvious. He is happy and his parents are happy. So much so that they applied for their younger son, Sebastien, to attend as a Grade 3 student for the 2020/21 school year.

They received their acceptance in February 2020, before the

COVID-19 pandemic hit.

“Sebastien loves and idolizes Owen, so he loved the College even before he knew he was going to be a Georgian. He’s excited about the thought of seeing his brother at school every day, and Owen is excited too. He likes the idea of Sebastien being with him, and he likes

being able to talk to him and teach him about it,” said Meredith, who says that Sebastien is excited to have two weeks of March break from now on, just like his older brother.

“Sebastien is excited to be playing an instrument. He’s excited about the path ahead of him. He’s at the local public

The Shield Winter 2021 • Royal St. George’s College 17

school now, but excited about the prospect of making new friends.”

Meredith says that Sebastien, unlike his brother, is a talker, who vocalizes every thought that he has. It was obvious that he was nervous until the moment he got his acceptance.

“It felt really good when I got the news,” said Sebastien.

“My brother really likes it there, and I know it’s a really good school.”

Owen was equally happy to have his brother at RSGC. “I felt excited and happy that we were going to be able to go to the same school,” said Owen. “We could share some of the same excitement for Spirit Week and some of the other fun school events.”

But just a few weeks after Sebastien received his acceptance, the school closed down for what everyone was hoping was a short lockdown.

MARCH 30, 2020 Despite a cancelled trip to Disney World and a cancelled outing to Hamilton, the Vaux

family was doing well at the end of March. With all three kids at home, each adjusting to online learning and the cancellation of their after-school activities, life had entered a strange new normal.

“At this point, it was all a novelty, but I think in

my house, we realized very quickly that the kids weren’t going back to school that year.

We watched the numbers and we knew it would be lasting into the fall. It was a 18 The Shield Winter 2021 • Royal St. George’s College

The family spent a lot of time at their cottage during the lockdown.

little bit discouraging, but we felt that everyone had a part to play in making it better,” said Meredith, who accepted that she and her husband Bob would be the ones who would have to keep their kids busy. “I think it helped a little bit to know that we had April, May and part of June, and then, much like the school, we would figure out a better plan. We would regroup and reassess.”

Luckily, the kids were rolling with all the rapid changes.

“Kids are so resilient,” said Meredith, “None of my kids ever really got very down about anything.”

According to Meredith, the hardest part was having three devices going at the same time as her three children tackled their online learning – Owen at RSGC, their daughter, Tabitha, at St. Clement’s and Sebastien at the local public school.

“Sebastien needed a bit more attention, which was fine. I would have thought that he would have adapted the most easily as the youngest, but I think it was actually the hardest for him,” said Meredith. “For example, my daughter already sits and texts her friends, which she was able to continue, but all of Seb’s stuff came to a grinding halt. There was no interaction with his class through the public school. It was interesting to me, but he certainly didn’t adapt as well to the online learning.”

Owen, however, seemed to adjust well to online school. It helped that his teacher, Mr. Story, did a great job of keeping the Grade 5 class engaged, often getting his young son involved with the boys. It was also nice for Owen to see his classmates every day.

“Owen is a pretty adaptable person.

It didn’t seem to bother him very much to be home, but you could see that he missed his friends once he was able to see them again,” said Meredith. “When he finally got together with his friends again, you could just tell that there was almost a lightness to it all. Connecting with people really makes a difference.”

As for Owen, he was more hopeful that the lockdown was only temporary, which may have helped his positive attitude.

“I thought it was just for a few weeks, so I wasn’t super affected by it and it didn’t bother me that much,” said Owen. “I still held out hope that maybe we would go back to school, but I was pretty upset that I wasn’t going to see my friends for the rest of the year and that I couldn’t chat with them unless it was a video call.”

As the days, weeks and months of online learning passed and parents, students and the teachers adapted to the new way of life, Meredith learned to navigate her way around the portal, and grew increasingly impressed by the way the College attempted to replicate its sense of community.

“Having the virtual layby every morning, the coffee mornings – they definitely tried to bring some normalcy into it. It was hard to mimic what the school does, but they did a great job at keeping that alive,” said Meredith, who, upon reflection, also suggested there was room for improvement. “They could have set very clear rules early on as to when you talk and when you have your camera on. Rules like, you need to sit at a desk and not on your bed. The day was shorter than I would have wanted it to be, but I know that it’s challenging when your teacher is also working from home and has kids that they also have to teach.”

Grade 3 teacher Margaret Nozuka arranged for members of the Georgian community to make these welcome videos for the New Georgians.

SEPTEMBER 8, 2020 As the pandemic progressed, more events had to be cancelled or modified, including New Georgians’ Day. That meant that when Sebastien started at RSGC on the first day of school, he arrived without having had the opportunity to meet the other new Grade 3 students back in May. He was coming in blind, having to wear a mask and remain physically distanced.

There was a virtual version of New Georgians’ Day in the spring, but Sebastien didn’t attend because of a scheduling conflict. He wasn’t upset.

Owen was.

“I was sad that my brother missed New Georgians’ Day because that was one of my favourite days of all at RSGC,”

Sebastien has adapted well to Georgian life, despite the pandemic.

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said Owen. “I wasn’t really worried about it, though. My brother is pretty likeable and talkative. It’s pretty easy for him to make friends.”

Meredith was worried about Sebastien starting RSGC during the pandemic.

How was he going to get to know the other boys and make friends when he couldn’t naturally engage with people? She was sad for him that, unlike Owen, he didn’t get the New Georgians’ Day, he wouldn’t get to experience the Terry Fox Day, he wouldn’t get the sense of community of the whole school in chapel together, and he wouldn’t have the Prefects coming into his classroom to teach the young Georgians how to tie their ties. It would be a completely different Grade 3 experience than his older brother’s. But Sebastien took it all in stride.

“After the first day of school, he came into the car and he said, ‘I think this is the best school in the world.’

He was so excited! He got a hat trick playing soccer on the turf and some of Owen’s friends saw and cheered him on,” said Meredith. “He said

Owen and Sebastien have been taking part in Virtual Cooking Club together.

he already had a new best friend. He loves the class and he loves the school. Fifteen minutes before, he asks if it’s time to leave for school. The class has somehow developed experiences and relationships. We don’t know how it happened, but it has.”

Sebastien is happy.

“I loved it so much after one day,” he said. “I made a friend on the first day and I played soccer, and Owen and his friends cheered me on.

And I was talking a lot with my friends.”

Owen was also happy to be back at school and see his classmates, despite being in a cohort without some of his closest friends. As for Meredith and her husband, there was zero hesitation in sending the kids back to campus.

“I had full confidence in the school. Mr. Beatty is very forthcoming about the good and the bad, and we know they’re doing what they can

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to make the school safe,” said Meredith. “It’s great to have the kids together again – I think it’s important, both academically and socially. You can’t replicate being there, so it wasn’t a hard choice for me to send them in person.

In fact, it was a great sense of relief for me.”

As for Owen, he is getting used to the new normal at school.

“It’s not the same, because we’re still at home on Fridays, but it’s so nice to see my friends and work on projects together, obviously socially distancing,” said Owen, who is disappointed that there will be no sports teams this year.

“It’s hard to wear a mask all day and stay six feet away at all times, but if I can help, then I’ll do it. We can still play all of the same games as before, we just need to be careful.”

He and Sebastien are both happy to see each other outside, whenever that happens. And Meredith is happy that she only has one drop-off and one pick-up.

OCTOBER 19, 2020 The boys have been back on campus for over six weeks, and are getting used to their new routines. Sebastien has made many friends, and they are constantly trading Pokémon cards. Owen is happy with his Grade 6 cohort, and the brothers are enjoying cooking together in the Friday-morning Virtual Cooking Club. Sebastien is new to cooking, while Owen has been a member of the live cooking club for several years.

Meredith is thrilled that the boys are able to do something useful and productive during their at-home learning day, a day that she happens to appreciate.

“I love having them home on Fridays,” she said. “I love that I get to see a little bit of what they’re doing. They get everything done that they need to get done. Fridays are a great day. We can also get stuff done – we can schedule stuff like the flu shot.”

FEATURE

The long and winding road to Oxford Music scholar University Luca Morgante ’20 finds a way to make his dream come true.

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MARCH 5, 2020

Before the pandemic forced schools and performance venues to halt in-person gatherings, Luca Morgante ’20 enjoyed the life of an accomplished music scholar. The award-winning classical pianist, singer, organist and chorister could be found at music competitions, festivals and academies across North America, England and Europe. He had earned scholarships from Toronto’s Royal Conservatory of Music, Boston University and the Eastman School of Music, and had studied at Cambridge University, the Centre for Opera Studies in Italy and the Royal School of Church Music in Bath, England.

Though in some ways a quiet and reserved person, Luca has been performing in front of audiences since the age of six, when he joined the Canadian Children’s Opera Company as a member of the Principal Choir. By the age of nine, Luca had become an understudy soloist in a Puccini opera production at the Four Seasons Centre, and had started to compose his own music. His mother, Jennifer Morgante, describes him as a musical polymath.

“Luca has loved music and studied it his whole life,” said Jennifer. “With his level of commitment, we suggested he at least complete his RCM Grade 8 piano in order to earn a Grade 12 high school credit, and then carry on beyond that, or not, as he wished. Well, he carried on. By the age of sixteen, he had completed his ARCT level in piano—equivalent to a bachelor’s degree—and an RCM Grade 8 level in voice, both with First Class

Luca has loved music and studied it his whole life.

Honours. And, during his last two years in high school at RSGC, Luca was travelling to Montreal on weekends to train with preeminent voice faculty at McGill University.”

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As a Prefect, Luca created a program to have a weekly lunch with Grade 4 students and play with them during recess.

In addition to piano and voice, Luca took up the organ at age 14, often playing during chapel at RSGC. And if his music studies, performances and academics didn’t keep him busy enough, he was also elected Prefect at the end of Grade 11.

“I wanted to make the most of my Grade 12 year,” said Luca. “Adding Prefect duties to my music activities really appealed to me. The final year of high school is a tough one academically and stressful with university applications, but it’s also really exciting and fulfilling.

Becoming a Prefect was a part of all that.”

While Luca had set up his Grade 12 courses to allow him to pursue science or pre-med at university, he had always dreamed of being an Oxford student.

But medicine at Oxford is a distant possibility for international students, so he had his eye on other UK schools as well as some Canadian universities. Then, one August night, he dreamt he was living in Oxford.

That re-ignited his desire, and he made a last-minute decision to apply to Oxford and Cambridge universities for academic admission to study for a Bachelor’s degree in Music, and audition for an organ scholarship.

Luca was invited to interview at Oxford earlier in the school year. Soon after he returned home, he learned he had been accepted at Somerville College. That made him one of a few RSGC students with a university acceptance in hand from almost the beginning of the Grade 12 year.

With his Oxford offer conditional on maintaining an 85 per cent average in each of his courses, Luca actually relaxed a bit with his academics. He spent most of his free time on his extensive

music activities and Prefect duties, especially enjoying the program he created to have a weekly lunch with Grade 4 students and play with them during recess. He also set a personal goal to learn every boy’s name in the entire school by June.

Luca sailed through the first two terms of Grade 12, very busy but also very much enjoying every “last” school experience, with just a tinge of sadness from knowing that his illustrious tenure at RSGC was soon coming to an end.

Then, after March break, life abruptly changed.

MARCH 30, 2020 In the days before the school moved to remote learning, Luca and his classmates experienced a sense of chaos.

How would courses proceed?

What would the workload be like? How would the new system impact final grades?

“Once term actually started, everything was

quite organized,” Luca said.

“Teachers gathered our feedback and tweaked the courses as the first weeks passed. And then we learned that our February university submission marks would hold for us throughout the term, so long as we continued to work diligently. That took some of the pressure off. It also shifted the emphasis to where all of the Grade 12s needed it to be: to our relationships.”

Teachers devoted as much class time as possible to maintaining the social bonds that support learning and a sense of community. After having worked hard throughout high school to do their best and gain admittance to university, the Class of 2020 needed more than assignments and homework in that final term.

They needed a social and emotional lifeline.

“Grade 12 is the best year of high school, and the last term is supposed to be the best term of the best year. It was hard on all of us to not be in classes and activities together and, at the end, not to have proper goodbyes.

Spending time together as friends made it possible to bounce back from the shock

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and disappointment the pandemic brought.”

The school’s approach to graduation also brought the Class of 2020 together, albeit from a distance. Luca has fond memories of seeing Mr. Beatty and his teachers during the drive-by event and of reminiscing with his classmates during the YouTube live stream in the evening.

“I was struck by how thoughtful it all was. It was great to hear everyone’s favourite memories and get a chance to express gratitude for great friends and teachers.

It was also a bit surreal—not what we had all been looking forward to for years. But the school did everything possible, and I know we’ll all come together for a big celebration when we can. We just have to adapt as we go.”

As a musician, Luca also had to adapt to the cancellation of rehearsals, ensemble performances and recitals during the school year and through the summer. That sense of loss was compounded by anxiety over the state

of border restrictions and student visas in the UK. Would Oxford open? If so, would international students be permitted to attend?

“With the time zone differences, we didn’t think remote learning from Canada would work,” said Jennifer. “Luca had a McGill acceptance as a backup, and that was my preference as a parent. I was worried about him travelling abroad during a pandemic and being so far from home. With all the uncertainty, it was a very angst-ridden summer.”

Luca did what he could to maintain balance in his life.

He kept in touch with friends online. He took up cycling and rowing, in case he wanted to row at Oxford. And he taught himself the cello.

SEPTEMBER

8, 2020

Finally, in mid-August, the family learned that Oxford would be opening for the year and offering some

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in-person instruction. In addition, Luca could indeed fly into the UK in September, so long as he served a two-week quarantine. While Jennifer worried about her 17-year-old son moving overseas, she knew that Luca was fulfilling a lifelong dream.

Like other international students, Luca arrived before term began at Oxford to endure those two weeks in isolation. He spent day and night in his small room, with only one hour permitted outdoors on the quad for exercise and distant interactions with other quarantined students.

His meals were left outside his door. He spent most of his time on his computer and playing a keyboard he had been provided.

“The days were long,” said Luca. “It was hard to meet people, though we had some Zoom events. Those two weeks passed really slowly. But they did pass. And then began pandemic life and learning at Oxford.”

That learning is a mix of in-person and remote

The Class of 2020 celebrated graduation with a drive-by parade and a YouTube live stream in the evening.

instruction, with Luca living in a “bubble” with 12 other students in his college. They can move freely within their corridor, without masks, and Luca can meet up with the other students in his music program—and the other international students he’d met during quarantine—out on the quad.

OCTOBER 19, 2020 After a few weeks of classes, Luca describes his time at Oxford as “simply amazing.”

The tutorial system allows him to meet one-on-one with a different instructor each day, while also attending lectures and rehearsals.

Outside of his classes, Luca

Luca is happy at Oxford and has met some great people, but he misses his friends and family in Canada.

practices the organ/piano/ harpsichord with his college’s choir, does some singing and conducting, and records performances for a weekly broadcast. He has also joined the Oxford Union Debating Society and begun learning how to play polo.

“Yes, mounted on horses.

I’ve never played before, but I am learning how. Once I’m decent at it, I can join the team,” said Luca.

Luca misses his family and friends in Canada. It is unlikely he will be able to return until July, and it may not be possible for his family to visit him or travel together in Europe, as they had planned. He is also anticipating a national lockdown in the coming weeks, as COVID cases continue to rise in the UK.

“I do feel a bit isolated,” said Luca. “But at the same time, being immersed in this school and this city is everything I hoped for. It was a strange and sometimes bumpy path to get here, but I’m learning so much.

And meeting great people. I wouldn’t trade being here for anything.”

He still looks forward to the day that he can celebrate his high school graduation with the rest of the Class of 2020 someday soon.

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FEATURE

The Boys Are Alright Sebastian Raman says being open to change is the key to success for the Class of 2021.

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MARCH 5, 2020 When March of his Grade 11 year arrived, Sebastian Raman ’21 was wrapping up a very busy second term.

He had been managing a full academic schedule, with no spare and two Grade 12 courses. After having been in cross-country in first term, he was forming a plan in second term to revive RSGC’s online senior student publication, then known as The Grifter, as a flourishing club. He was also a school ambassador, a member of the Business Club, co-head of the peer tutoring program along with Nick Woollcombe and Jack de Aragon, and a House Captain.

And he had ambitious plans for third term: tennis team, track and field, more business case competitions, more peer tutoring, continued House duties, and a fully rebranded student-led publication. Plus, he had plans for Grade 12. And for university.

Seb’s that kind of forwardthinking kid.

Sebastian has always had a pretty full plate. As a House Captain in Grade 11, he felt it was a natural next step to become a Prefect in Grade 12.

He’s also a student of considerable creative vision and initiative who has always been interested in student leadership. He attended a leadership retreat in Grade 9 and was an outdoor education leader in Grade 10 and 11. House Captain was a natural next step, with a dream to “level up” to Prefect in Grade 12.

“Seb was a natural for House Captain, and his peers clearly agreed,” said Student Leadership Coordinator Julie Girvan. “He is the embodiment of school spirit, with an infectious energy and solid

planning skills. And he’s never satisfied with the status quo.

There’s always a way to improve a system or event or outcome.

Anything that catches Seb’s interest eventually ends up better than he found it.”

If you ask Sebastian to describe his own qualities as a leader, he deftly sidesteps the question.

“I’m lucky to be at a school like this,” he says.

“There’s a lot to do here, a lot of ways to be involved.

There’s a place for everyone.

I’ve always enjoyed being on teams and trying different activities. Becoming a House Captain was a real honour for me—and a lot of fun too.”

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Before leaving for March break, it did not occur to either Sebastian or Julie that school was about to change so radically.

“We didn’t put our heads together before the break to plan for possibilities,” said Julie. “Frankly, we never imagined we wouldn’t be coming back.”

MARCH 30, 2020 Like everyone else, Sebastian was no fan of quarantine life. He was deeply affected by the separation from his friends and teachers. From March through June, he saw almost no one outside his family.

“Everything felt weird,” said Seb. “That’s just how I would put it, like everything was off. It was a strange experience to be separate from each other.

No one felt good about it. But we all had to adapt and carry on.”

The House Captains began meeting remotely to address the challenge of keeping the school community connected and spirits high. They soon began a lunchtime Google Meet, inviting all students to talk and hang out. They made use of the House Instagram pages they had created

in the fall, offering challenges, games and friendly competitions.

As the pandemic continued, Seb and his team talked to RSGC Social Worker Andrea Kaye about the “How Are You, Really?” initiative, an online campaign launched by the Mental Health Coalition. Its purpose is to get past the automatic “I’m fine” response when people check in with each other and be honest about the personal struggles that come with this public health emergency.

28 The Shield Winter 2021 • Royal St. George’s College

“Asking ‘How are you, really?’ is different than asking ‘How are you?’” said Julie.

“The House Captains interviewed some teachers and each other, and captured two different answers to the two questions. It illustrated that it’s okay to be experiencing some difficult emotions, and it’s okay to talk about it. The students wanted to open the door to conversations about mental health.”

Seb, along with co-editor Jacob Buchan, also carried on with his plan to

Sebastian has shown incredible leadership throughout his time at RSGC, acting as a student ambassador, outdoor education leader and now a Communications Prefect.

reinvigorate the senior student online publication, now called The Howlander, which had been somewhat dormant.

Students had been submitting work to the publication, but it lacked a robust club to offer support and direction.

Seb and Jacob had a vision to take the publication to a new and higher level.

“He enlisted other Grade 11 students, and they began some conversations about rebranding it with a new name, recruiting younger boys and developing the content,” said faculty advisor Trena Evans. “He and Jacob had to figure it all out as they went.

They had no precedent for running a club through virtual meetings rather than normal, face-to-face interactions. But they were determined to make it happen.”

Trena describes Seb as a strong communicator, great collaborator, and wonderful coach and role model for the younger boys.

Julie agrees, pointing out that as the school year began to wrap up, Seb wanted to keep the weekly Google Meets going. It became “Summer Meets,” a time for students and teachers to get together and stay connected as the pandemic continued to disrupt normal social relations.

“The end of the school year had a surreal feeling to it,” said Seb. “Usually, there’s all this hectic energy around exams

and then a big release—boom—that launches the summer. It wasn’t like that at all. We said our goodbyes and just sort of went our separate ways. I wanted Summer Meets to fill the social void a bit.”

SEPTEMBER 8, 2020 At the beginning of Grade 12, Sebastian was still a House Captain. Normally, the Prefect selection process would be completed by this point, but Julie felt that the applicants—and the teachers and students voting—needed more time to adjust to a virtual process.

Students also needed time to adjust to being back in school in their cohorts, seeing half of their grade in person and the other half online.

“Before each school year, I had always been excited to start up again,” said Seb. “This year, I was more worried than excited. Everything was strange and new—and not like I had envisioned Grade 12. But almost right away, it felt so good to be back. Having the social aspect again was amazing. Being in class again was amazing. Everything quickly felt almost normal.”

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Even better, by the end of September, in addition to running the Business Club, with Jack de Aragon, and The Howlander, Seb achieved his dream of becoming one of the school’s 10 Prefects.

Under the communications portfolio, Seb now works with two other Communications Prefects – Joey Lisser and Jacob Buchan – on creating weekly online assemblies, a condensed “Assembly in a Minute” highlight reel and videos for special events like Pride Week. He and the other Communications Prefects also put out daily content via Instagram, keeping the community informed and involved in fun activities.

“Seb is well suited to a communications role,” said Julie. “He’s articulate, creative and has a lot of initiative. He’s always coming up with new ideas and finding different ways to communicate. There has been a big adjustment to having virtual Prefect meetings and creating so much online content, but the whole group is handling it well and keeping students engaged.”

OCTOBER 19, 2020 In addition to his leadership roles, Seb is currently focused on university options and applications. He’s grateful to Director of University Counselling Nick Van Herk for scheduling so many fullgrade and individual meetings to help guide students through the process. Seb is interested in pursuing business, engineering or a combined program. The Ivey School of Business offers such a program and is Seb’s first choice at this point, although he’s also interested in Queen’s,

McGill and McMaster Universities.

While looking ahead to the future, as is his wont, Seb is also focused on making the most of every moment of his Grade 12 year.

“I’m surprised at how good things are right now,” he said. “I’m doing better academically than in previous years. I’m in leadership roles I love. And I’m back together with my friends. Yes, we’re having to be careful. We’re keeping our distance and staying safe. But being back in the school is everything. I’m really, really enjoying this year.”

Seb remembers his distinct lack of optimism when he first returned in September.

Mixing in-class and remote instruction was new. He didn’t know what to expect. He worried he might not be successful in his courses and leadership activities. And of

30 The Shield Winter 2021 • Royal St. George’s College

The 2021 Prefects received their ties in a physically distanced ceremony on the Headmaster's porch.

course, the pandemic continued to loom as an adversary to watch carefully.

To what, ultimately, does Sebastian attribute his success this year?

“I think the key is to be open to change, to be open-minded in general. That includes not getting too hung up when things aren’t perfect. There are stresses this year—some typical for Grade 12 and some because of the coronavirus. But to my eyes, things are as good as they can be. This is the Class of 2021’s new normal. Which means that it does feel like a special year to us, exactly like Grade 12 should.”

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Their answers were as diverse and as individual as the school itself; a place where each boy is challenged and inspired to become the best version of himself.

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