Community News

Michael Chadsey

and his spouse, Katie, welcomed Harper Bloom on May 21, 2022. Her big sister, Chloe, 2, is thrilled to have her home. Michael has been a faculty member in the Mathematics Department since 2007, and in 2012 was appointed Head of the department.

Trevor Coll

is the Director of SAC Summer Camp, where he has worked for the past 14 years. Trevor is currently rehearsing for the Toronto production of Rock of Ages, which is being staged at the Elgin Theatre starting in February. He won the lead role in the Tony Awardwinning musical featuring classic rock songs from the 1980s.

Colby Dockerty

and his wife, Kate, celebrated the birth of their first child, Sloane, on May 5, 2022. Colby is the Assistant Director of Middle School, Academics.

Christine Harris

and Christopher Woods were married on July 2, 2022, in the garden of Mrs. Mitchell’s Restaurant in Mulmur, Ont. Christine is an associate faculty member and is the Head Coach of First, JV, and U16 Swimming and the Assistant Coach of Triathlon.

Deanna Harris

and Quinn Harris were married July 29, 2022, at Farmhill Weddings in Peterborough, Ont. Deanna assumed the position of Assistant Head of Sifton House this school year. She is a math and French teacher in the Upper School. Matt MacIsaac,

Director of Piping & Drumming, won the Alasdair Gillies Memorial Recital Challenge during Piping Live. This week-long festival in Scotland features the best of piping from many different cultures around the world, and this event pits five of the world’s top pipers against each other in a recital format. Matt performed in front of a packed house of 400 people in the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall’s Strathclyde Suite on Aug. 11, 2022. The event stipulates that each competitor play 30 minutes of material of their choosing, with a couple of test pieces included. He is in frequent demand for workshops on both sides of the ocean, and his Cape Breton folk band, Beòlach, was nominated for a Canadian Juno Award in 2020. Matt is also the Pipe Major of the St. Andrew’s College Association Pipe Band, which began its first year of competition this past summer.

Lucas Madill

is the mental performance consultant for the U20 Canadian World Junior hockey team. He has previously served in the same role with the U18 National team, winning multiple gold medals at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Lucas and the team are in Atlantic Canada from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5 when Halifax and Moncton host the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship. In 2021, Lucas assumed a role on the SAC Athletic Wellness team, leading and integrating the psychology of sport into the school program for the purposes of athletic excellence. He teaches English and social sciences in the Upper School and coaches U16 Hockey. was presented with the 2nd clasp to his Canada Decoration in recognition of 32 years of service in the Canadian Armed Forces. Brian is the Commanding Officer of the #142 St. Andrew’s College Cadet Corps.

Presenting the medal to Major McCue is Major David Wright, Deputy Commanding Officer, Central Ontario Cadets.

Katie Still

and Michael Grossi were married on July 23, 2022, at St. Mary’s Parish in Toronto. The reception was at the Liberty Grand. Katie is the Grade 5 Core teacher and the Core team leader for Middle School.

Adam Tunney

and his wife, Christina, welcomed their son, Gabriel Salvatore, on Sept. 8, 2022. Adam was recently promoted to Arena Manager of the La Brier Family Arena.

Jessica Zhou

and her husband, Chester, welcomed Perseus Tengrui on July 13, 2022. Jessica teaches in the Upper School science department.

Meera Balendran joined SAC in the newly created Maker Educator Specialist position. She joins the boarding community as an Assistant Head of Macdonald House.

Nikki McDaniel joined the University Counselling Office as the Administrative Assistant.

Tomika McIntosh is the Assistant Head of Sifton House. She teaches geography in the Upper School, coaches U16 Soccer, and leads wellness activities for students and staff.

Kevin Tuiguigui was hired as the Laptop and Helpdesk Coordinator.

NEW ROLES and PROMOTIONS

Andrew Abes has accepted the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach position. He will continue as Assistant Head of Memorial House.

Tara Barbeito has accepted the Admission Associate position.

Michael Carroll has accepted the Day Head of Smith House responsibilities. He teaches chemistry and economics in the Upper School.

Wendy Coates accepted a promotion to the role of Associate Director of Admission.

Ryan Johnston, Artist in Residence, accepted a permanent position as associate faculty. Ryan helps to facilitate music programs at SAC. He also teaches vocal music and assists with project-based learning sessions at St. Anne’s School.

Jeff LaForge assumes the Head of Canadian and World Studies position. He has been a member of the Social Science Department for ten years and is Head of Flavelle House.

Terry Prezens assumes the Head of Computer Science role.

Michael Roy ’85 assumes the new title of Executive Director, Enrolment Management.

Jarryd Stock ’03 has been appointed as the Director of Admission.

Amanda Thorne accepted the Head of Science post.

Matthew Trevisan assumes the role of Head of English. Jane Bedard

retired in June 2022 after 25 years of service. She was hired initially in 1996 as a part-time secretary to the Athletic Director. In 1998, she assumed additional responsibilities for facilities coordination and moved into a full-time role. This included oversight of facility rentals, everything from weddings to pool rentals. Throughout her career, Jane added to her long list of responsibilities, including transportation, support to SAC Summer Camp, and facilitating the use of the grounds and buildings for movies and TV shows. Jane also played a major role in the boarding program, where she is known for baking each boy in the house a cake for their birthday. She and her husband, Paul ’79, Head of Sifton House, moved into Sifton in 1997, where they resided until 2003, when they moved off-campus. In September 2020, during the height of the pandemic, they returned to Sifton, where they continue to reside.

Bart Loria

retired in August 2022 as SAC Summer Camp Director following 14 summers. Under Bart’s leadership, the SAC Summer Camp gained an excellent reputation as one of the best day camps offered in York Region. The camp grew significantly, often selling out in the first few days of registration. This was largely due to Bart’s strategic vision for new programming, effective hiring and retention of staff, and the level of customer service provided to campers and parents. He was a senior staff member since the camp’s first season in 2000. His involvement with various camps, combined with his experience as a coach, physical education teacher, and high school guidance counsellor, provided Bart with the expertise required to oversee administration, staff training, program development, and the day-to-day operations of the camp. Bart ensured the quality of programming by hiring coaches that are full-time teachers and university students completing degrees in education. He instilled a positive “fun first” attitude, making SAC Summer Camp a popular choice for youngsters and parents.

Sharen Smith Turner

retired in October 2022 after 16 years in the Advancement and Alumni Relations Department. She was hired in 2006 as an Administrative Assistant and was quickly promoted to the newly created position of Parent Liaison & Events Coordinator, where she was the main conduit for the Parents Guild Executive (PGE). Sharen was instrumental in launching many initiatives that strengthened the bond between the school and parents, students, staff, and Old Boys. She launched the weekly A Look Ahead newsletter for current parents and the Andrean Community News for past parents; established the Grade 8 graduation dinner for students, parents, and faculty; the Grade 12 graduation dinner was expanded and upgraded to include the presentation of Old Boy ties; and modified the 50-year Old Boy reunion to become 50-plus to allow older Old Boys to attend reunions every year. Parent socials, parent breakfasts, and the Class Ambassador program are other initiatives created during her time at SAC. Sharen’s expertise in event planning and execution was always evident, especially with the increased volume and complexity of events in recent years and the pivot to online events during the pandemic.

Sandi Chasson

SAC 2001-2022 Board of Governors 2007-2009

By Julie Caspersen

When Sandi Chasson was introduced at her retirement party back in June, this is how she was described: award-winning conductor, bassoonist, pianist, adjudicator, lecturer, clinician, Head of Music, community band director, distinguished educator, parent and grandparent, and in her spare time, an awardwinning gardener! Sandi was hired as Head of Music 21 years ago. “As I drove onto this magnificent property, I felt like I was entering a new world, full of promise and the opportunity to build something new,” she recalls. Sandi used her passion for music and teaching to build up her department, including the Wind Ensemble, Jazz Band, Symphonic Band, and Middle School Band, into one of the strongest music programs in the Canadian Association of Independent Schools. She references some of the many highs of the Music Department during her tenure. “We represented Canada at the London Olympics, and we travelled all over the world, spreading the name of SAC far and wide. I was able to take the boys to my home in Vienna, where I studied as a student, and we performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City.” Sandi admits not knowing what to make of the Pipes & Drums at first. However, it wasn’t long before a mutual love of music led to amazing collaborations, such as Cadets in Concert in the early days up to An Andrean Christmas, a spectacular showcase staged at Roy Thomson Hall. Unique to St. Andrew’s is the performance of combined repertoire with the Wind Ensemble and Pipe & Drums, finishing concerts with panache. “And I now have a love for the bagpipes,” she quips. Her musical contributions reached beyond the SAC gates as Sandi was named the Conference of Independent Schools Music Festival coordinator. Her administrative skills with CISMF, the Ontario Band Association, and MusicFest Canada are substantial achievements beyond her work in the classroom. Not to mention all of the outstanding SAC music tours, concerts, and special events she spearheaded. Her colleagues remark on her mastery of the conductor’s baton. Sandi expresses the music as she hears it and magically draws it out of her performers. She is known for her ability to bring out the best in student musicians, and her infectious passion and enthusiasm inspire students to excel. Add this to her unique sense of humour, and you have a recipe for engaged learning. Let’s also not forget her incredible sense of style. As one colleague states, “One cannot help but admire the concert gowns, the shoes, the custom eyewear, and her trademark pink baton.” While Sandi can be described as chic, eclectic, discerning, and refined, she offers a simple answer when asked how teachers at SAC instill such passion, commitment, devotion, and dedication in the students: “Let the students know you are human. Develop patience, and then more patience. Laugh with them and be able to laugh at yourself. Most importantly, never accept mediocrity.” And her final note: “Love what you do! Your smile, sense of humour, energy, and passion for your subject are contagious.” Sandi is sharing her love of music and teaching as conductor of the Richmond Hill Concert Band and coordinator of CISMF, and cherishing the time she spends with her daughter, Julia, and granddaughter, Sloane. X

David Joiner

SAC 1999-2022 Board of Governors 2017-2021

By Julie Caspersen

In 1999, having just completed climate change research at Queen’s University after earlier high school teaching in eastern Ontario, David Joiner answered an ad in the Globe and Mail newspaper seeking faculty members at St. Andrew’s College. “I didn’t know much about St. Andrew’s College at the time, but I had relevant qualifications (geography, math, computing science) for a few positions they were looking to fill. I was offered an interview with only one day’s notice and had to scramble to make childcare arrangements so I could drive to Aurora,” says David. “Alan Halstead, then-Head of Geography, later told me that I had the job within five seconds when to his first question regarding why I wanted to teach geography, I responded, ‘Because geography is everything!’ That really is how I look at the world; all topics somehow relate to the geographic themes of place, region, interaction, movement, and environment. My interview answer opened the door into St. Andrew’s College since Alan Halstead and his fellow geography teachers had the same perspective.” “Dr. J,” as he is affectionately known, and his wife, Louise, moved their young family to a small house on the Row, a perfect environment for their three sons who would become students and are now members of the Old Boy community. “In my 23 years at SAC, there have been many important experiences, such as serving on the Board of Governors for four years,” he says. “The fall play and Focus Festival performances, Carol Service and Andrean Christmas events, and Cadet/Leadership camping trips have always been memorable experiences. I remember the staff and students supporting each other as we learned of the events of 9/11 while at a leadership camp for the senior students.” David feels fortunate to have shared offices with dedicated geographers when developing the geography curriculum, advancing first to the position of Geography Department Head and then leading the school’s combined Canadian and World Studies Department. “I will cherish having been a faculty member while my three sons attended. I have often wondered how Louise and I could ever show our appreciation for everything the school has offered us, then realized we have already paid the greatest compliment that parents can give. We trusted the faculty and staff of St. Andrew’s College with the care and education of our sons. My colleagues shared their knowledge with our boys in class, kept them fit on the sports field, watched over them on trips, fed them nutritious food in the dining hall, and maintained wonderful buildings and grounds for their learning environment,” says David. “In retirement, I am anticipating the chance to donate more time to volunteer organizations and explore new opportunities as they come along. I look forward to combining family history research with travel and having more time to share with family and friends.” X

JOINER OLD BOY UPDATE

Our oldest son, Graham ’12, graduated from the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University and earned his CPA credentials. He is an executive management consultant with Carly Rian Group, a management consulting firm in Toronto.

Our second son, Liam ’15, studied biology at Queen’s University and is a keeper within the Wildlife & Science division at the Toronto Zoo.

Our youngest son, Ethan ’20, is studying electrical engineering at Queen’s University.

Marke Jones

SAC 1984-2022

By Julie Caspersen

It would be correct to assume there are many stories to be shared by a person retiring from a 38-year career teaching at St. Andrew’s College. Some stories involve bringing home championships. Other stories support the opinion that Marke is a “wiley veteran” on the Science Department team. Most, though, involve the friendships made over the years – decades – and the pride Marke has for SAC. “Fred Hiltz (former Head of Physics) was my mentor and good friend. Educated as an aeronautical engineer, he was a gifted educator of physics whose creativity inspired me to think outside the box. This well prepared me for the challenge of developing an AP Chemistry program,” says Marke, who became Head of Science in 2001. He gives a shout-out to all his colleagues, particularly those in the Science Department for their professionalism and sense of humour, and for sharing in the wonders of the universe. “In the latter part of my career, it was the tremendous support, encouragement, and inspiration from my friend, colleague, and academic leader, Michael Paluch (Deputy Head of School), that helped sustain my interest and enthusiasm,” Marke says. “A selfproclaimed science nerd, I could always find a willing department colleague to engage with, particularly Jamie Inglis ’91 (Associate Director Upper School, Student Life).” And only a “science nerd” would happily continue his tutelage during the summer months as Marke agreed to launch a specialty science program as part of the SAC Summer Camp experience. “Eventually, many of the creative ideas I tried at that camp made their way into my regular classes, too, adding an element of ‘theatre’ to the way I taught.” This theatrical element was on public display at the retirement reception held in Cole Hall in June, where Marke donned a tie-dyed lab coat. The benefits of nearly 40 years on the job include witnessing the evolution of the campus. “I have had the privilege of working in two amazing facilities. The McLaughlin Hall built in the 1970s was state-of-the-art for its time. To have been a contributor to the recent McLaughlin Hall refresh was an awesome professional experience. Knowing that the educators who follow me will benefit for years to come is tremendously rewarding.” Marke’s impact was felt beyond the classrooms and labs. He coached First Soccer, recalling the team’s undefeated season in the school’s centennial year (1999) as a career highlight. As the Varsity Badminton coach, he instilled the merits of team building as essential alongside individual performance. He also developed the R4 Racquet Sports program comprising squash, badminton, tennis, and table tennis. A perk of any job is the travel opportunities, and Marke is a seasoned traveller after his years at SAC. Here are some of the trips he participated in:

Nepal (1998, 2000) with SASSIN (now SASSAW) doing community service for the Sir Edmund Hillary Foundation. Russia (1989, 1992) as part of a former fall program called Expansion Week. In the 1989 trip, the group was on an overnight train from

Moscow to Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) when the Berlin Wall fell.

A rugby tour to Fiji, New Zealand, and

Australia (1990). The only game they won was against St Andrew’s College in

Christchurch, New Zealand.

He travelled with soccer teams to Bermuda (2010, 2011), St. Maarten (2008), and

Austria (2002).

He travelled to Oahu, Hawaii (2017), for an

AP Chemistry conference. Having recently acquired his open-water diving certification,

Marke took the opportunity to extend his visit so his first official dive could be off the coast of Honolulu. Marke says he has more travelling in his future, along with a host of activities, including biking, sailing, photography, reading, renovating, golf, and, of course, a couple of science-themed pursuits such as tutoring and teaching chemistry during SAC Summer School. “What a wonderful way for me to stay connected to SAC and our wonderful new facility!” X

Exemplar By Sean Maillet

In March 2020, Taylor Johnston received a life-altering phone call about his friend, Bob. Days before the call, Taylor, an Upper School English teacher, and his friends, Jared and Bob, had wrapped up their Sunday night men’s hockey league game and planned to get together to watch the Leafs the following Thursday. In the next few days, Bob texted to say he may have the flu and would likely have to cancel Thursday’s plans. On Wednesday, Bob’s wife, Suzan, informed Taylor that Bob was in the hospital, his brain was swelling, his organs were failing, and no one knew why. “He put up three goals on Sunday night playing hockey, and days later, he was in the hospital, on a respirator, and they thought he might die,” Taylor says. “His kidneys had been declining for what they think was a decade. And because he’s young, athletic, and generally healthy, they never picked up on anything wrong with him.” Bob’s kidneys were functioning at 10 per cent, and at the age of 29, he was in end-stage kidney failure. He would need a kidney transplant to survive. “I thought, if this is what he needs, and he needs it now, then I am up for it,” Taylor says. Finding a match for a kidney transplant was much more arduous than Taylor imagined. It wasn’t until a year later that Taylor was next – and last – on the list of donor candidates. “I began testing for a full year and was a good candidate to donate, but unfortunately, not a good candidate for Bob.” At this point, Bob was so sick he could only accept a kidney from 20 per cent of the population. The only route was for Taylor and Bob to join the Kidney Paired Exchange (KPE) program. “You get put into an algorithm to find out how can you make the most amount of matches possible with other pairs across the country,” Taylor explains. Since Taylor is a universal blood donor, they were quickly matched with another pair and surgery was scheduled. Unfortunately, Bob got an infection, which cancelled the match and lowered the candidate pool to 10 per cent. After two more KPE attempts, Taylor and Bob matched with ten candidates in April 2022. It was a chain of six donors and six recipients, and the surgery was scheduled for May. In the days before the surgery, Taylor broke the news to students and staff at St. Andrew’s. He was eager to tell them about an Andrean connection. The procedure would be performed at the Ajmera Transplant Centre in Toronto, generously supported by Soham Ajmera and his sons, Ojus ’95 and Tejus ’00. “It was really exciting. Bob was going to be free from the dialysis, Suzan would be free from being his caretaker, and my kidney would go to someone else’s ‘Bob’ on the East Coast.” The surgery was a success. Taylor’s kidney went to a patient in Nova Scotia, and Bob’s new kidney came from a Montreal donor. Bob is now retired, travelling the world with Suzan, and has taken up farming and building Airbnbs. As a young recipient, he will have to repeat the process as transplanted kidneys only last about 20 years. A month after the surgery, Taylor returned to SAC to say farewell to the Class of 2022. He feels fortunate to have received many well-wishes and support from students and staff. In September, he was back in the classroom and was recognized as one of the Col. Tilston Award winners for his courage under adverse conditions. X